DELAND, Fla. — Stetson University (2-0, 0-0 ASUN) edged out Northern Illinois University (1-2, 0-0 MAC) in a thrilling five-set battle, winning 26-24, 21-25, 25-20, 24-26, 15-9 Friday evening at the Edmunds Center. Lilyanna Parker, Amber Engelhart, Lindsay Cox, and Xinlei Yang made their first collegiate appearances. Vitoria Stedile and Jaycee Davis made their first Division I collegiate starts.

"Well, mostly I focus on keeping the ball in front of me and seeing the blockers because that's the most important part," said Zuzanna Bury. "After that, when I see a hole, I just go for it. I just swing away, and if the ball is wrong, I'm trying not to make mistakes. Nyah is an awesome athlete. She's a great teammate. She's also putting in a lot of work. She's a big puzzle piece in our team. Without her, we wouldn't be able to go far."
 
The Hatters showed resilience from the start, rallying from an early deficit in the first set. Nyah Molina sparked the offense with key assists, including back-to-back kills by Zuzanna Bury to close the gap. A service ace by Bury and a timely block from Kayla Balfour tied the score at 15-15. The set concluded with the Hatters overcoming a late tie at 24-24, capped by an ace from Jenna Simmons and a winning kill by Molina, securing a 26-24 victory.
 
In the second set, Stetson stayed competitive with contributions from Lindsay Cox, Lilyanna Parker, and Xinlei Yang—each recording their first collegiate kills. Despite the Hatters' efforts and strong setting from Molina, a few errors allowed NIU to pull ahead and take the set 25-21.
 
The third set swung in Stetson's favor after a kill by Parker at 2-2 sparked a 4-0 run. The Hatters extended their lead with kills from Simmons and Yang, and Molina capped the set with a decisive kill for the 25-20 win.
 
Stetson opened the fourth set with a 12-7 lead behind strong offense from Simmons and Bury. However, NIU responded with a comeback, tying the score at 14-14. Despite Molina's steady play making, NIU edged out a 26-24 victory to force a fifth set.
 
In the final set, Stetson quickly recovered from an early service error and built momentum with kills from Bury and Balfour. Bury delivered three consecutive points late in the set, helping secure a 15-9 win to clinch the match.
 
Molina has been a key playmaker for the Hatters, contributing 52 assists and 17 digs over five sets, achieving her first double-double of the season. Bury led the team with a career-high 25 kills and 11 digs for her first career double-double, amassing 27.5 points. Simmons recorded a double-double with 12 kills and 11 digs, totaling a team-high 16 points. Vitoria Stedile has been solid defensively with 20 digs.
 
The next challenge for the Hatters is a double header home match against Lamar and Southern Mississippi to close out the Stetson Hatter Invitational. The teams will face off on Saturday, Aug. 30, at 10 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. at the Insight Credit Union Arena at Edmunds Center in DeLand, FL.