DELAND, Fla. – Hatter Volleyball qualified for the fifth ASUN Tournament in a row, but faces the top seed, Liberty in the first round, taking place Thursday at 5 p.m., at Lipscomb's Allen Arena.
"I think in our conference Liberty is a good team, but our conference has been tough this year and anybody can beat anybody," head coach
Yang Deng said "It depends on the consistency and the performance we have. I know that Liberty is a good team that has been doing great this year, but I also know that we're a good team, but we need to be consistent on a high level from everyone, especially the younger players."
Earlier in the season, Liberty beat Stetson in the Edmunds Center in three sets with the first two being competitive, 25-22 both times, but fending off the Hatters. While that does not bode well for Stetson, this was also the fourth match of a five-matches, eight-day window. Two of those opponents were the number one and number two seeds for this tournament. The previous two matches with LU, Stetson won both in five sets. One in DeLand and the other in Lynchburg.
The Flames had four players around 300 kills on the season, Trinity Watts [309], Kate Phillips [302], Kamryn Bacus [297] and Lydia Burts [279]. Delaney Dilfer guides the offense with 1,180 of LU's 1,357 assists. Dilfer also notched 45 service aces.
Defensively, Burts registers 1.23 blocks per set with 125 on the season. Dilfer, Phillips and Erica Lowery are recovering over 2.5 digs per set.
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program is driven by a shared purpose. It is what inspires, motivates and binds us together. More than a task, a reason for being. THE HATTER PURPOSE is to create and provide an experience of a lifetime through teamwork and relationships to achieve excellence. This purpose is achieved through five Core Values: Communication, Integrity, Excellence, Value People and Commitment. To learn more about the HATS program and our Core Values, visit GoHatters.com/HATS (PDF).
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