Beach Volleyball April 19, 2019 Athletic Communications

Hatters Hold Off UNF 3-1 to Advance to ASUN Championship

Stetson wins its 12th dual in a row

DeLand, Fla. -- After falling behind 1-0, Stetson checked off wins at the 5, 1 and 2 seeds to defeat North Florida 3-1 in the ASUN winner's bracket semifinal Friday morning at the Cooper Beach Courts.

The eighth-ranked Hatters (28-8) advanced to Saturday's winner-take-all championship and will face either UNF or FGCU at 1 p.m. with live coverage on ESPN+. Stetson will be making its seventh consecutive appearance in the ASUN title game and seeking its third straight championship.

"I thought UNF came out with some really good energy and played us really well," Stetson head coach Kristina Hernandez said. "I am glad that we pulled it out. The 5s started off really strong. I think it was a good, clean match for them."

The format of the dual was altered due to impending weather, with the 1, 3, and 5 seeds starting the match.

UNF (20-13) grabbed the early lead with a 21-19, 21-18 win at the 3 seed. However, Rebecca Ingram and Quinci Birker cruised to a 21-8, 21-17 victory at the 5 seed to pull the Hatters even. Due to the format change, the pair played on the lower court instead of at their familiar spot on the middle court.

"Down on the bottom court it is a bit windier than the top courts," Ingram said. "There's nothing protecting it. You just have to be a little more conscious of the wind and you can use that to your advantage."

At the 1 seed, Carly Perales and Sunniva Helland-Hansen dropped the first set 19-21 but battled back to even the match with a 21-18 win in Set 2. The Hatter duo jumped out to a 9-3 lead in the third set, but UNF closed the gap to 12-11 late in the frame. However, three straight kills - one by Perales and two by Helland-Hansen - secured the three-set win and a critical point in the match for the Hatters.

"At the 1s, we struggled a little bit, but I was really glad to see Carly and Sunni work through that today, which is something we didn't do yesterday," Hernandez said.

While Alexa Richardson and Katinka Krahn fought their way to a third set at the 4 seed, Darby Dunn and Sammee Thomas soared to a 21-10, 21-6 match-clinching victory at the 2 seed.

"Obviously Sammee and Darby, finishing the match for us, they have been playing so well," Hernandez said. "It's just another day for them. They're playing at a really consistent level where I think we felt confident going into that last round.

"Overall, it was a good match," Hernandez added. "We knew it was going to be tough. We just have to see who we are going to play tomorrow and go from there."

Thomas and Dunn were all smiles after the match.

"I think for us, we are really good at staying in the moment," Dunn said. "We know the seriousness of having to win the game and clinch the match for the team, but I think we are good at staying comfortable and composed in most situations. We've been there so many times and we are just so confident in each other's abilities that we trust we'll both do what works to get the job done."

The Hatters will try to get the job done one more time on Saturday.

Note: The Hatters set a school-record with their 12th dual win in a row.

Stetson 3, UNF 1
1. Carly Perales/Sunniva Helland-Hansen (STET) def. Brittany Pase/Chaney Howard (UNF) 19-21, 21-18, 15-11
2. Darby Dunn/Sammee Thomas (STET) def. Antonia Harrison/Carolyn Cain (UNF) 21-10, 21-6
3. Madilyn McCarty/Nicole DeBolt (UNF) def. Rachel Noble/Ana Costa (STET) 21-19, 21-18
4. Katinka Krahn/Alexa Richardson (STET) vs. Dana Roskic/Callie Workman (UNF) 18-21, 23-21, 3-4, unfinished
5. Rebecca Ingram/Quinci Birker (STET) def. Kirby Smith/Lauren Galinis (UNF) 21-8, 21-17

About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.

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