Stetson swept this seasons ASUN COnference Beach Volleyball Postseason Awards taking all three honors – Pair of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Coach of the Year.
For the third consecutive season a Stetson picked up the Pair of the Year honor with Kristin Lind and Darby Dunn earning the award this season. The pair earned three ASUN Pair of the Week’s this season. Lind and Dunn combined for a conference-best 21 wins in the 2017 season and is the only duo to earn 10 match wins against ASUN foes this season. All the losses the squad as faced this season have come to top-15 opponents.
Earlier this season, Lind and Dunn earned the VolleyMob Pair of the Week after posting three match wins to ranked opponents.
Press Release
Courtesy of ASUN
Stetson swept this year’s ASUN Conference Beach Volleyball Postseason Awards, taking home Pair of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Coach of the Year honors. Kristin Lind and Darby Dunn are the third consecutive Stetson duo to win pair of the year, while Sunniva Helland-Hansen’s freshman recognition gives the Hatters its second straight. Head Coach Kristina Hernandez is earning the second postseason nod of her career, taking home ASUN Coach of the Year in 2015.
With their performances this season Lind and Dunn became just the second pair in conference history to earn three ASUN Volleyball Pair of the Week honors in a single season. The two partners combined for a conference-high 21 wins in 2017 and is the only squad to earn 10 match wins against ASUN opponents this season. Dunn and Lind played primarily in the second spot for Stetson, where they held a 17-4 record. The duo’s nine losses on the season have all come against top-15 teams in the AVCA Coaches Poll, yet the two have also tallied four wins against ranked opponents on the year. Dunn and Lind have been the top performers on a team that went 10-0 in conference play, while acquiring its third consecutive No. 1 seed in the ASUN Beach Volleyball Championship.
Tori Penrod and Emily Krogman were clear decisions for this year’s All-Conference Team after leading the Mercer Bears to program records in both conference (7) and regular season (14) wins. The Macon, Ga. squad is entering postseason play with a number two ranking, the highest its had since participating in the ASUN Championship. Penrod and Krogman were the only pairing in the conference outside of Stetson to win over 15 matches, finishing the season with a record of 16-8.
Courtney Miller and Katarina Raicevic take home All-Conference nods for a second straight season after tallying a 14-10 record for North Florida. The two Ospreys primarily played in the top spot but also spent time at the No. 2, on the way to a 6-4 record in ASUN play. Miller and Raicevic are one of only two ASUN duos to win a matchup against Stetson this season.
Katherine Puisis and Karissa Rhoades are the first FGCU pair to make the All-Conference team since 2013. The two Eagles own a team-best 13-5 record, while their 7-3 tally against conference teams ranks third among all number three pairings in the ASUN.
Emily Carroll and Kaylee Anderson join Dunn and Lind as the second Stetson pair to make this year’s postseason award roster. Its the second year in a row the duo has been recognized, as their 20 dual match wins in 2017 rank second in the conference.
Sunniva Helland-Hansen earns Freshman of the year honors after going an undefeated 9-0 in conference play. The Norwegian native played primarily in the fifth spot, but also experienced action at the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 4. Helland-Hansen went 10-3 when pairing up with fellow freshman Carly Perales, and earned wins against nationally ranked No. 4 Florida State, No. 5 Hawai’i, No. 9 South Carolina, No. 10 LSU, and No. 14 FIU.
Kristina Hernandez has led Stetson to a number one seed in the ASUN Championship for the third straight year and its second undefeated ASUN season in history (10-0). The Hatters play the winner of the No. 4 North Florida, No. 5 Jacksonville matchup on Saturday, with the Ospreys sweeping their season series with the Dolphins two to nothing. No. 2 Mercer enters postseason play at its highest spot in program history, after setting school records in wins (14) and conference wins. The Bears will play No. 3 FGCU to start the ASUN Championship, coming off its own best finish in program history at 13-7 (6-4).
Beach Volleyball Pair of the Year: Kristin Lind/Darby Dunn, Stetson
Beach Volleyball Freshman of the Year: Sunniva Helland-Hansen, Stetson
Beach Volleyball Coach of the Year: Kristina Hernandez, Stetson
Beach Volleyball All-Conference Team
– *Kristin Lind/Darby Dunn, Stetson
– *Tori Penrod/Emily Krogman, Mercer
– Katherine Puisis/Karissa Rhoades, FGCU
– Courtney Miller/Katarina Raicevic, North Florida
– Emily Carroll/Kaylee Anderson Stetson
Beach Volleyball All-Freshman Team
– *Sunniva Helland-Hansen, Stetson
– *Giovanna Borgiotti, FGCU
– *Carly Perales, Stetson
– Gabby O’Connell, North Florida
– Darby Dunn, Stetson
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