Hatters Begin 2021 Campaign at Stetson Spring Fling

Five Ranked Teams to Compete at Season-Opening Tournament

The 10th season of Stetson beach volleyball gets underway this weekend as the Hatters host the Stetson Spring Fling. The 11th-ranked Hatters welcome the 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th ranked teams to DeLand for a compelling two-day event.

Attendance at the Cooper Beach Volleyball Courts will be limited to a predetermined player pass list.

Saturday, February 27
8 a.m.   #14 South Carolina vs. #12 Florida Atlantic
10 a.m.   #11 Stetson vs. #15 TCU
12 p.m. #14 South Carolina vs. #13 FIU
2 p.m.   #12 Florida Atlantic vs. #11 Stetson
4 p.m.   #13 FIU vs. #15 TCU

Sunday, February 28
8 a.m.   #15 TCU vs. #12 Florida Atlantic
10 a.m. #13 FIU vs. #11 Stetson
12 p.m. #15 TCU vs. #14 South Carolina
2 p.m.   #12 Florida Atlantic vs. #13 FIU
4 p.m.   #14 South Carolina vs. #11 Stetson

"This first weekend is a doozy," Stetson head coach Kristina Hernandez said. "It's a very strong tournament with a lot of strong east coast region games. We're talking about 11 through 15. There's going to be a lot of tough battles. I think we are all going to have to fight and see who gets a leg up after this weekend."

Stetson returns eight letterwinners from last year's team that went 8-6 in the pandemic-shortened season. Five of those wins came against Top 20 programs as the Hatters climbed as high as No. 7 in the polls.

Taking advantage of her extra year of eligibility, Carly Perales returns for her fifth season with the program. The AVCA All-American and two-time first team all-conference selection enters the year within reach of the program's all-time record for wins.

"Carly's senior year obviously got cut short, and her and Sunni were really starting to pick up steam," Hernandez said. "She has had such a successful career here and is really close to breaking a lot of records. I just think she wanted to come back and finish that out and have it all end better than how it ended last year."

Also returning for the Hatters is ASUN Preseason Player of the Year Ana Costa. The Hatter senior went 11-3 in 2020 including 5-0 at the Seminole Beach Bash and 4-0 and the Stetson Spring Fling. Overall, she earned victories over seven ranked opponents, including Top 10 wins over No. 2 Florida State and No. 7 Cal Poly.

Other veterans returning in 2021 are Yasmin Kuck, Lauren Domel, Kamryn Johnson, Oda Stray Homme, Madison Bobes and Shae Henson.

The Hatters welcome eight newcomers to the program this year, including of five freshman (Lauren Della, Noelle Weintraub, Aleksandra Stadnik, Gabriella Bramante, and Shahar Rosner), and three graduate transfers (Devin Corah, Brittany McLean, and Alicia Harrington).

"I think our newcomers are doing well," Hernandez said. "We have a lot of talented freshmen and grad students. I think they will make an impact for us, especially at our lower seeds. I think we will be bigger and more physical there than we have been in the past."

Hernandez said a lot of practice time this spring has been devoted to working with different pair combinations.

"We obviously have a good mix of new players and veterans, so we are just trying to piece it together and see how it fits," Hernandez said. "I think everyone is excited. I think it will hit more when game day arrives. We've all been waiting and wondering, 'Is it really going to be here?' We are cleared and ready to go, so we are excited for the weekend and to get started."

Hernandez begins her eighth year with the Hatters with a career record of 156-58.

Stetson is scheduled to play 31 regular season duals followed by the ASUN Championship April 23-25 in DeLand. The Hatters are seeking their third trip to the NCAA Championship, which is set for May 7-9 in Gulf Shores, Ala.

Fans can follow the action all season long on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and GoHatters.com.

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