CHAMPIONS! Hatters Capture ASUN Crown

Stetson Wins 7th Title in Program History

Jacksonville, Fla. -- The Hatters are going dancing once again.

Top-seeded Stetson defeated second-seeded FGCU 3-0 Sunday afternoon to win the 2023 ASUN Beach Volleyball Championship and capture the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. The Hatters (22-14) got wins at Pairs 1, 4, and 5 to win the conference championship for the second year in a row and for the seventh time in program history.

"Everyone is so excited," Stetson head coach Kristina Hernandez said. "It was definitely an intense match, we started off a little shaky, but I was really happy we got those first two points. That gave us a ton of momentum put us in a really good position."

The dual started with FGCU taking the opening set at the 4s and 5s, but the Hatters came back on each court to force a third set.

At the 5s, Lauren Della and Aleksandra Stadnik rallied from a 12-10 deficit to win 15-13, and at the 4s, Audrey Gauthier and Noelle Weintraub got in a good groove in the third set and won 15-10. Those points gave Stetson a 2-0 lead.

Meanwhile, the 1s, 2s and 3s each won their first set and it became a race to see who would get the clinching point first. Pair 1 had the honors when Shae Henson fed Karin Zolnercikova for the game-winning kill, igniting the Stetson celebration.

Stadnik and Della went a perfect 4-0 on the weekend to win ASUN Pair of the Tournament honors. They have gone 10-0 since joining forces on April 8.

"Ola and Della have surpassed our expectations," Hernandez said. "It's really nice that they have been able to step up and be really good for us at the end of the season. They were so steady this entire tournament and we always felt they were going to put a point on the board."

Zolnercikova and Henson also earned all-tournament team honors after going 3-1 on the weekend. Overall, the Hatters got contributions throughout the line-up, winning a combined 14 of the 17 matches played.

The NCAA Championship returns to Gulf Shores, Ala., where the Hatters will be making their fourth appearance all-time (2016, 2019, 2022, 2023). The newly structured single-elimination tournament runs May 5-7. Stetson will learn its seed and its first-round opponent during the selection show on Sunday, April 30.

Notes: Stetson has won ASUN Championships in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023 ... The Hatters have won 11 straight ASUN Championship duals (7-0 last year, 4-0 this year) ... The Hatters went 9-1 vs. ASUN competition this year including 5-0 vs. FGCU.

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.

Get in on the conversation on social media by following Stetson Athletics on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For video content, visit our YouTube channels: Stetson Hatters, Stetson Athletics

Print Friendly Version