Beach Volleyball April 23, 2022 Athletics Communications

Hatters reach 20 win mark with wins over Stephen F. Austin, Mercer

Huntsville, Ala. -- The Stetson University beach volleyball squad extended its win streak to five wins in a row Saturday afternoon as the Hatters defeated Stephen F. Austin 5-0 in the morning match and then took down Mercer 5-0 in the afternoon on the second day of Pool Play at the 2022 ASUN Championship.

Stetson remained red hot Saturday morning as the Hatters (20-16) defeated No. 9-seeded Stephen F. Austin in the first dual of the day. Like the day prior, Noelle Weintraub and Karin Zolnercikova led off with a two-set win on court 5, followed by Audrey Gauthier and Colene Hamilton with their own 2-0 win on court 4. Lauren Della and Gabriella Bramante sealed the win on court 3 with a 21-11 win in set two after a hard-fought 21-19 battle in set one. ASUN first-teamers Carolina Ferraris and Anete Namike found their rhythm and came away with a 2-0 win on court two.

On court 1, ASUN Freshman of the Year Kylie Neuschaeferova and all-conference first teamer Shae Henson played the Jacks to three sets. The Hatters pair came out on top 22-20 in set 1 and after a long fight in set 2, SFA's Natalie Bennett and Olivia Unnasch returned the favor with a 22-20 win of their own. Then in the third set, with most of the eyes at the John Hunt Sand Volleyball Complex on court 1, Henson and Neuschaeferova pulled out the 15-11win.

After about an hour break in between duals, the Hatters picked up right where they left off as Weintraub and Zolnercikova defeated their opponents from Mercer University in two sets, followed by a 2-0 win from Gauthier and Hamilton on court 4. Della and Bramante earned the Hatters their third point on court 3 just before Stetson's ASUN First-Team pairs of Neuschaeferova and Henson and Ferraris and Namike added wins to their records on courts 1 and 2, respectively.

The Hatters have won five duals in a row dating back to their 5-0 win over Tulane on April 16. With the win over Mercer, Stetson has tallied 20 wins for the first time since 2019.

"Twenty wins is a great accomplishment," said head coach Kristina Hernandez. "We enjoy winning."

The Hatters are set to play one more match in Pool Play as Stetson squares off against College of Charleston on Sunday, April 24, at 11 a.m. at the John Hunt Sand Volleyball Complex.

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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