University of Delaware Athletics
Mason And Basaranlar Make An Immediate Impact For Delaware Volleyball
10/4/2019 11:56:00 AM | Volleyball
Late in September of 2018, Lani Mason and Ezgi Basaranlar were on their official recruiting visits with Delaware volleyball, and within a three-day span, the Blue Hens were swept by both UNCW and College of Charleston. Just a year later, as freshmen, the duo was guiding the Hens to wins over both teams, including an emphatic 3-0 sweep of Charleston.
"That win felt good," Mason, an athletic outside hitter from Chester, Virginia, said. "Everything on the court just felt like how it was supposed to be. It was a fun game, we were all playing together as one."
The wins this past weekend were emblematic of the immediate impact that the pair has had. Mason had a double-double of 11 kills and 11 digs against the Seahawks on Saturday, while Basaranlar dished 40 assists in three sets against the Cougars on Monday.
"We've told them, you're kind of at the point where you're not freshmen anymore," Delaware head coach Sara Matthews said. "We're midway through the season and you guys have shown that you can be really successful, and so that's the expectation now."
That success started from the first weekend of the season at the Delaware Classic. Mason made her collegiate debut with a double-double of 16 kills and 16 digs against Big 12 foe West Virginia, and claimed Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Week honors after hitting .308 through the first three matches.
Basaranlar earned the same award the following week after three straight matches of 30-plus assists at the Retriever Classic, including a career-high 54 against UMBC.
For the young Turkish setter, years of playing high-level volleyball have helped her transition to the college game seamlessly. Basaranlar played for the junior team of Eczacibasi, a powerhouse in the Turkish Women's Volleyball League, from 2009-18.
"Since she's played at such a high level, she's actually really good at receiving instruction and feedback," Matthews said. "Her game IQ is so high, that she gets stuff right away when you tell her."
While Turkish volleyball players have the opportunity to go professional at Basaranlar's age, she chose to attend the University of Delaware for the holistic experience of being a student-athlete.
"I was like 'okay, I want to play volleyball, but I want to have a good education too,'" Basaranlar said. "When I was in Turkey, it's more focused on just volleyball…[Here] I have people that I can talk to about everything. I'm so far away from my family and friends, so it's like a second family for me."
While some volleyball teams utilize a rotation of two setters, Basaranlar handles all of the primary setting duties for the Blue Hens. Being able to dig balls and serve aces allows her to stay in the match during all rotations. That six-rotation style carries over to her classmate, Mason, as well. Mason's proficiency on the back row means she can be a consistent weapon.
"I like being able to contribute front row and back row, and serving as well," Mason said. "I take pride in that."
"It's huge," Matthews said of the versatility of her young stars. "Any time you can have players in there for six rotations, it creates a level of consistency on your team."
The freshmen, who are roommates, have grown more comfortable on the court as they've grown closer off it.
"We laugh a lot," Mason said, in between fits of laughter as the two joked about a bumpy bus ride to the Bob Carpenter Center that afternoon.
"They're hilarious," Matthews added.
Beyond just jokes, that relationship helps build a bond between setter and attacker.
"Having Ezgi as a roommate and then playing with her on the court, having her as my setter, it makes it easier to trust her on the court," Mason said.
"I can tell her emotions," Basaranlar said. "When she misses the ball or something, I can be like 'okay Lani, you got this.'"
The Blue Hens are 10-4 so far in the 2019 campaign, but hit a rough patch late in September. After a 3-0 loss to Towson extended a Delaware losing streak to three matches, Mason, Basaranlar and the Blue Hens responded immediately with the wins over UNCW and Charleston.
"We knew we were going to hit some moments that were going to be tough during the season. I think that was good to see with having three losses in a row, and then responding with coming back with UNCW and Charleston, that's the path that we hoped that they would be on. The more important thing is that you continue to respond in those situations," Matthews said. "We feel good after the first weekend of conference play."
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"That win felt good," Mason, an athletic outside hitter from Chester, Virginia, said. "Everything on the court just felt like how it was supposed to be. It was a fun game, we were all playing together as one."
The wins this past weekend were emblematic of the immediate impact that the pair has had. Mason had a double-double of 11 kills and 11 digs against the Seahawks on Saturday, while Basaranlar dished 40 assists in three sets against the Cougars on Monday.
"We've told them, you're kind of at the point where you're not freshmen anymore," Delaware head coach Sara Matthews said. "We're midway through the season and you guys have shown that you can be really successful, and so that's the expectation now."
That success started from the first weekend of the season at the Delaware Classic. Mason made her collegiate debut with a double-double of 16 kills and 16 digs against Big 12 foe West Virginia, and claimed Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Week honors after hitting .308 through the first three matches.
Basaranlar earned the same award the following week after three straight matches of 30-plus assists at the Retriever Classic, including a career-high 54 against UMBC.
For the young Turkish setter, years of playing high-level volleyball have helped her transition to the college game seamlessly. Basaranlar played for the junior team of Eczacibasi, a powerhouse in the Turkish Women's Volleyball League, from 2009-18.
"Since she's played at such a high level, she's actually really good at receiving instruction and feedback," Matthews said. "Her game IQ is so high, that she gets stuff right away when you tell her."
While Turkish volleyball players have the opportunity to go professional at Basaranlar's age, she chose to attend the University of Delaware for the holistic experience of being a student-athlete.
"I was like 'okay, I want to play volleyball, but I want to have a good education too,'" Basaranlar said. "When I was in Turkey, it's more focused on just volleyball…[Here] I have people that I can talk to about everything. I'm so far away from my family and friends, so it's like a second family for me."
While some volleyball teams utilize a rotation of two setters, Basaranlar handles all of the primary setting duties for the Blue Hens. Being able to dig balls and serve aces allows her to stay in the match during all rotations. That six-rotation style carries over to her classmate, Mason, as well. Mason's proficiency on the back row means she can be a consistent weapon.
"I like being able to contribute front row and back row, and serving as well," Mason said. "I take pride in that."
"It's huge," Matthews said of the versatility of her young stars. "Any time you can have players in there for six rotations, it creates a level of consistency on your team."
The freshmen, who are roommates, have grown more comfortable on the court as they've grown closer off it.
"We laugh a lot," Mason said, in between fits of laughter as the two joked about a bumpy bus ride to the Bob Carpenter Center that afternoon.
"They're hilarious," Matthews added.
Beyond just jokes, that relationship helps build a bond between setter and attacker.
"Having Ezgi as a roommate and then playing with her on the court, having her as my setter, it makes it easier to trust her on the court," Mason said.
"I can tell her emotions," Basaranlar said. "When she misses the ball or something, I can be like 'okay Lani, you got this.'"
The Blue Hens are 10-4 so far in the 2019 campaign, but hit a rough patch late in September. After a 3-0 loss to Towson extended a Delaware losing streak to three matches, Mason, Basaranlar and the Blue Hens responded immediately with the wins over UNCW and Charleston.
"We knew we were going to hit some moments that were going to be tough during the season. I think that was good to see with having three losses in a row, and then responding with coming back with UNCW and Charleston, that's the path that we hoped that they would be on. The more important thing is that you continue to respond in those situations," Matthews said. "We feel good after the first weekend of conference play."
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Players Mentioned
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