Della, Stadnik Providing Some Late Season Magic

Hatters 5 seed is 10-0 since pairing on April 8

For Aleksandra Stadnik and Lauren Della, the third time has definitely been the charm.

After playing one tournament together back in 2021 and one match together earlier this season, the two Stetson beach volleyball juniors have been on fire since reuniting just a few weeks ago.

But the decision to put them back together was a tough one.

Stadnik and Della are both primary blockers, so head coach Kristina Hernandez had been looking for the right defender to pair with each one of them. After going through various combinations, nothing was consistently clicking for either one.

"We would find something that worked for a weekend, and then it would kind of go flat," Hernandez said. "We knew needed to try and solidify something going into ASUN, because we were running out of time to move seeds and create new things."

Knowing Della was also a strong defender and could switch positions, Hernandez decided to give the pair another shot. What she didn't give them was much advance notice. On April 8, before the start of the second day of the Georgia State tournament, Hernandez announced the starting pairs to her team. At pair 5, it was "Ola and Della."

"Personally, I was excited," Della said. "We are very close off the court, so I feel very comfortable playing with her. I think it was good for both of us mentally to get a reset. I think that helped me a lot."

While the pair got to work facing the 5 seed from UT Martin, Hernandez was a little nervous.

"Watching their first game, I was on eggshells thinking, 'I don't really know what this is going to look like,'" she said. "By the second game, they looked like they were in such a groove, working well off of each other, and working hard to win. They have just kept that momentum going since then."

They won 2-0 in that match, then won 2-0 again in the next dual against UAB.

Next came a 4-0 weekend in South Florida, with wins over FIU and FAU, and then a 4-0 weekend at the ASUN Championship that culminated in Pair of the Tournament honors. All told, Stadnik and Della have won 10 straight matches and 20 of their 22 sets. Not bad for a pair that has been playing together for just a few weeks.

"I don't know if it is because they are best friends, but you can tell they are very comfortable playing with each other, but also just working really hard for each other," Hernandez said. "At ASUN, you could see even when they were down, they just had this energy about them. They were going to find some way to come back. I think that makes them fun to watch because they work so hard for every single point."

The Hatters are now preparing for a showdown with No. 2 TCU in the first round of the NCAA Championship, Friday, in Gulf Shores, Ala. The dual is set for 2 p.m. with live coverage on ESPNU and ESPN+.

Although Stetson faced TCU earlier this season, the Stadnik and Della had yet to be paired together. Ironically the two did face - and defeat - a TCU pair in their very first match back in 2021. Friday, however, will be a new challenge against the No. 2 team in the country.

"Our strength is having fun on the court, laughing and cheering for each other," Stadnik said. "I think as long as we keep that mindset, it is going to help us focus on every point and get us through the match."

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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