Hatters split with Tampa, FAU to open Sun-N-Sand Invitational

DeLand, Fla. -- The Stetson University beach volleyball team split its duals with Tampa and Florida Atlantic Saturday morning as the Hatters had to endure a one hour and thirty-minute weather delay before defeating the Spartans 3-0 but falling 3-2 to the Owls in the afternoon at Cooper Beach.

The Hatters (5-4) and Spartans (6-3) made it through one full match before lightning filled the sky as it began to rain for the next hour and half. Once the skies cleared, play resumed with Stetson leading 1-0 as Audrey Gauthier and Klea Sirois got the Hatters on the board before the skies opened. After the delay, Lauren Della and Colene Hamilton won in three sets on court 4 to give Stetson a 2-0 advantage. Carolina Ferraris and Anete Namike defeated Kierston Anderson and Payton Brunick in two sets (21-17, 21-16) to take the dual.

Due to the weather delay, duals for the rest of the afternoon were played to decision.

In Stetson's second dual of the afternoon, the Hatters faced an immediate 2-0 deficit against FAU as the Owls took matches on courts 1 and 3 as pairs 1s, 3s, and 5s played to open first. On court 5, Gauthier and Sirois played to a third set and came out on top with a 15-12 win to get Stetson on the board. Kylie Neushaeferova and Shae Henson quickly knotted the score at 2 apiece as the pair took their match in two sets, 21-19 and 21-13 on court 2.

With the score tied at 2-2, Lauren Della and Colene Hamilton found themselves down 1-0 on court 4 but knotted their match at 1-all after a hard-fought 21-19 win in their second set. Set three did not disappoint in excitement as the fans lined the fence and both teams gathered around the court, but it was FAU that came out on top with a 15-10 win, taking the dual for the Owls.

The Stetson Sun-N-Sand Invitational continues Sunday morning at 8 a.m. as the Hatters take on the No. 4-ranked Florida State Seminoles and then finish the weekend tournament against the No. 2-ranked USC Trojans. Both duals will be streamed on ESPN+.

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.

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