Stetson Earns No. 1 Seed, Will Play Host to ASUN Tournament

The Atlantic Sun Conference beach volleyball tournament bracket is set with a familiar team atop the standings. The Stetson Hatters will be the No. 1 seed for the third straight year and will play host to the event at the Cooper Beach Volleyball Courts in DeLand, Florida, beginning on April 22.  

The #ASUNBVB Championship Seeds are finalized. No. 1 @StetsonBeach and No. 2 @MercerBearsVB take the top spots????https://t.co/9DcI1OkktP pic.twitter.com/Rly6MS7LjX

— #ASUNBVB ? (@ASUNVolleyball) April 16, 2017

Ninth-ranked Stetson posted a 17-13 record, including a10-0 mark in ASUN play, setting a new school record for conference wins en route to its third straight league crown. The school’s No. 2 pair, Darby Dunn and Kristen Lind, also was 10-0 on the year in conference matches.

Mercer (14-10, 7-3 ASUN) earned the No. 2 seed. The Bears, which finished as the conference tournament runner-up to Stetson in 2015, posted school records for overall and league wins this season.

Florida Gulf Coast (13-6, 6-4) checks in as the No. 3 seed. The Eagles four conference losses came at the hands of top two seeds.

Defending tournament champion North Florida takes the No. 4 position after going 12-12 on the season, including 5-5 in league play.

Jacksonville (7-17, 2-8) earned the final spot in the bracket with a 3-2 win over Coastal Carolina on Saturday. The Dolphins enter the postseason on a two-match win streak after taking down the Chanticleers Friday and Saturday.

No. 4 seed North Florida will take on No. 5 seed Jacksonville to kick off the tournament. The winner of that match will face the top seeded Hatters. The Ospreys swept the regular season series with the Dolphins, winning 3-2 and 4-1.

On the other side of the bracket, No. 2 Mercer will play No. 3 seed Florida Gulf Coast. FGCU’s match with Mercer will mark the teams’ third in 2017. Mercer won both previous meetings 3-2.  

The winners of match two and three will then face off with the winner earning a bye as the remaining teams play their way through a loser’s bracket. The championship match will take place on Sunday, April 23.