JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — For the second consecutive night, Stetson volleyball battled through five sets, winning the second and fourth frames before falling 3-2 to Jacksonville on Saturday at Swisher Gymnasium. The Hatters finished the weekend with back-to-back five-set matches, falling to the Dolphins by scores of 13-25, 25-17, 22-25, 25-19 and 7-15.
Stetson finished with 53 kills and a .256 hitting percentage, along with 13 total blocks and six service aces.
Kayla Balfour led the Hatters at the net with a season-high 12 kills on a .370 hitting percentage and seven total blocks.
Karsu Bayraktar added 15 kills and a season-high four blocks, while
Vanessa Shevchenko recorded a career-high 44 assists.
The Hatters showed their ability to respond throughout the match, overcoming an early deficit to take the second set and using a strong mid-set run to win the fourth. After falling behind 10-2 in the third, Stetson also fought back to within two points late in the frame before Jacksonville closed it out.
Jacksonville took the opening set 25-13 after the Hatters initially kept the score close. Stetson answered the Dolphins' first point with a block from Shevchenko and later pulled within 8-7 behind contributions from
Sofia Torcello, Bayraktar, Balfour and
Soraya Teston. A block from Balfour and Teston kept the Hatters within one, but Jacksonville used a pair of extended scoring runs to build its advantage and take the set.
Stetson responded in the second set, recovering from an early 3-0 deficit to take a 5-3 lead behind three consecutive Balfour kills and a service ace from
Jannelize Perez. The teams traded points early before kills from
Andrea Diaz Dominguez and Torcello helped the Hatters move ahead 10-7. Stetson then created separation with a four-point run to extend its lead to 19-11, featuring kills from Bayraktar, Diaz Dominguez and Balfour. Balfour and Diaz Dominguez teamed up for the closing block to secure a 25-17 win and even the match.
The Hatters continued to push in the third set after Jacksonville built an early 10-2 lead. Stetson won seven of eight rallies to cut the margin to 12-10, with kills from Bayraktar, Torcello and Balfour helping fuel the run. Jacksonville extended its lead again, but the Hatters continued to answer. Trailing 22-17, Stetson received a kill from Bayraktar, a service ace from
Sophie Jones and another kill from Diaz Dominguez to pull within 22-20. A combined block from Diaz Dominguez and Balfour made it 24-22, but Jacksonville took the next point to win the set 25-22.
Stetson forced a fifth set with a 25-19 victory in the fourth. After a competitive opening stretch, blocks from Bayraktar and Torcello, followed by Balfour and Teston, helped the Hatters move ahead 9-7. Bayraktar added a kill and a service ace during a four-point run that extended the lead from 10-9 to 14-9. The Hatters maintained their advantage as Diaz Dominguez added two kills and Shevchenko contributed a service ace. Bayraktar then delivered the closing kill off a Shevchenko assist to send the match to a deciding set for the second straight night.
In the fifth, Stetson stayed close early, with a Perez service ace and kills from Bayraktar and Diaz Dominguez helping the Hatters reach a 3-3 tie. A block from Torcello and Teston kept Stetson within 7-5, and Torcello later added a kill to make it 9-6. Jacksonville pulled away with a five-point run, but Bayraktar ended the stretch with a kill from Shevchenko. The Dolphins closed out the set 15-7 to secure the match.
Hatters Top Performers
Up Next
The Hatters continue their ASUN road swing at Bellarmine on Friday, Oct. 23, at 6 p.m. at Knights Hall in Louisville, Kentucky.
About Stetson Athletics
At Stetson University, student-athletes don't just compete—they thrive. Located in historic DeLand, Florida, between Orlando and Daytona Beach, Stetson offers the perfect blend of competitive athletics, academic excellence, and an unbeatable Central Florida lifestyle. As the oldest private university in the region, Stetson supports approximately 500 student-athletes across 19 NCAA Division I sports. Nicknamed the "Hatters" after the institution's namesake John B. Stetson, a hat manufacturer who originated the modern-day cowboy hat, most Stetson athletic teams compete in the Atlantic Sun Conference, where they proudly hold the longest active membership since 1985. With top-tier facilities, personalized support, and a welcoming campus community, Stetson is where students can grow, compete, and succeed. Learn more at GoHatters.com or follow social media accounts @StetsonHatters.
