Hatters Down Coastal Carolina to Advance to ASUN Semifinals

Stetson Cruises to a 4-1 Victory in Championship Opener

DeLand, Fla. -- Top-seeded Stetson began its quest for a fourth straight ASUN Beach Volleyball Championship with a commanding 4-1 victory over fourth-seeded Coastal Carolina Friday afternoon at the Cooper Beach Courts.

The Hatters (18-12) earned 2-0 victories at Pairs 1, 2, 3 and 5 to advance to Saturday's 2 p.m. semifinal against FGCU.

"To win the four points that we did in two sets was great," Stetson head coach Kristina Hernandez said. "Coastal really challenged us last time, so it was nice to play that well today. Even though we lost at the 4s, they were were battling, and that's what you want to see. It was a really good start, and now we have to focus and get ready for tomorrow."

Eight different Hatters made their on-court ASUN Championship debut Friday. Several sophomores, including Madison Bobes, have been waiting two years for the opportunity to compete for the conference title.

"From yesterday's practices and seeing how the facility was set up, I was already so excited to play," Bobes said. "I just wanted to wanted to come out with Devin and do well."

Graduate student Devin Corah, a former indoor player at La Salle University, was also making her beach championship debut.

"I was super excited," Corah said. "I have played in conference tournaments twice, just in a different sport, so coming in here was a new kind of excitement. It's been a lot of fun playing with Maddie these past three weeks, and we were ready to play."

Bobes and Corah delivered Stetson's first point at Pair 5, but the duo had to shake off some unforced errors midway through the first set. The pair finished off a 21-19, 21-14 win to give Stetson a 1-0 lead.

Brittany McLean and Noelle Weintraub dropped a hard-fought three-set battle at Pair 4, 13-21, 21-18, 15-10 as the Chanticleers evened the match at 1.

Stetson's top three seeds put the dual away with straight set wins. Ana Costa and Carly Perales were especially strong on Court 1, posting a 21-13, 21-14 victory. Yasmin Kuck and Gabriella Bramante worked a few extra points to secure the clincher on Court 2, 21-16, 24-22. Shae Henson and Kamryn Johnson completed the second wave sweep with a 21-15, 21-15 victory on Court 3.

Stetson has now won 38 consecutive official ASUN matches and 10 straight ASUN Championship matches, dating back to 2017. For this year's team, however, the postseason record is simply 1-0.

"We had such a tough schedule this year, from that standpoint we have been in a lot of high pressure matches and really strong opponents," Hernandez said. "I think they are used to playing in that manner, and I hope it has prepared us for this situation."

Stetson is 2-1 vs. FGCU this season with two of the three duals decided by a 3-2 margin.

The Chanticleers (23-7) drop to the loser's bracket and will play an elimination dual at 12 p.m. Saturday.

Stetson 4, Coastal Carolina 1

1. Carly Perales/Ana Costa (STET) def. Drobnjak, Irena/Svobodova, Sarlota (CCU) 21-13, 21-14

2. Yasmin Kuck/Gabriella Bramante (STET) def. Campbell, Lucy/Kragholm, Martine (CCU) 21-16, 24-22

3. Kamryn Johnson/Shae Henson (STET) def. Riedell, Sarah/Lukacs, Kendra (CCU) 21-15, 21-15

4. Ginther, Carli/Hanford, Ellie (CCU) def. Brittany McLean/Noelle Weintraub (STET) 13-21, 21-18, 15-10

5. Devin Corah/Madison Bobes (STET) def. Gonzalez, Emma/Eske, Kalin (CCU) 21-19, 21-14

HATTERS WIN! Stetson defeats Coastal Carolina 4-1 to advance to Saturday's #ASUNBVB Semifinal. #GoHatters pic.twitter.com/wCzI30EMIJ
— Stetson Beach (@StetsonBeach) April 23, 2021