Box Score

Jefferson City, Tenn.----The Wingate University Bulldogs rallied back after dropping the first set, claiming a 3-1 victory at Carson-Newman College in South Atlantic Conference volleyball action Friday night. The Bulldogs won by scores of 23-25, 25-18, 25-19 and 25-16 to improve to 19-1 overall and 7-0 in the SAC. The Eagles fall to 11-6 overall and 5-2 in the conference. The Bulldogs have now won 37 consecutive SAC matches.

Junior middle blocker Stormi Gale (Richmond, Texas) had 17 kills, seven digs and five blocks to lead the Wingate attack. Junior outside hitter Lauren Billo (Orland Park, Ill.) added 11 kills with a .300 hitting percentage, while senior outside hitter Jacki Emmenecker (Perrysburg, Ohio) chipped in with 10 kills. 

Sophomore setter Liz Willis (Raleigh, N.C.) filled up the stat sheet, piling up 38 assists, 11 digs, seven kills and four aces. Senior defensive specialist Chelsea Cancelliere (Richboro, Pa.) also had 11 digs, while senior defensive specialist Brittany Horner (Roxboro, N.C.) and sophomore libero Maggie Malone (Chicago, Ill.) contributed 10 digs each.

Junior outside hitter Carly Mozgai (Greensboro, N.C.) led the Eagles with 11 kills. Senior middle blocker Katie Troyer (Plain City, Ohio) added nine kills for the Eagles. Senior setter Stephanie Cutter (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) had 30 assists and 11 digs, while freshman libero Angelle Hayes (Brentwood, Tenn.) collected 19 digs.

A kill from Cutter, followed by a Wingate error gave Carson-Newman a 10-5 lead in the first set. Trailing 11-6, the Bulldogs reeled off six straight points to take a 12-11 advantage. Emmenecker got it started with a kill, Billo and Gale had two kills each in the spurt. Kills from senior outside hitter Jessica Shachleiter (Cincinnati, Ohio) and sophomore middle blocker Nikki James (Cookeville, Tenn.), along with a Wingate error gave the Eagles a 20-15 lead. A kill from Emmenecker, along with a block from Gale and Emmenecker helped Wingate cut the lead to 22-21. A kill from freshman middle hitter Jasmine Clark (Pelham, Ala.) gave Carson-Newman a 24-21 lead. A Gale kill cut it to 24-23, but the Eagles answered with a Mozgai kill to finish the set. Carson-Newman hit .344 in the first frame.

A 4-0 run in the second set gave the Bulldogs a 16-11 lead. Billo, Willis and junior middle blocker Rebecca Bloemer (Louisville, Ky.) each had a kill in the spurt. An Emmenecker kill, followed by a block from Gale and Emmenecker put Wingate on top 22-15. A Mozgai kill cut the lead to five. Emmenecker answered with a kill to make it 23-17. A Gale kill, followed by an Emmenecker ace finished the set.

A kill from Willis, followed by a block from Billo and Bloemer put Wingate on top 10-4 in the third set. The Eagles fought back to cut the lead to 11-9 on a kill from Mozgai. A kill from Gale, followed by an ace from freshman middle blocker Grace Krauser (Louisville, Ky.) put Wingate on top 15-12. A Willis kill made it 18-14. James answered with a kill to make it 18-15. The Bulldogs responded with a 4-0 run to take a 22-15 advantage. Billo had three kills in the pivotal stretch. Krauser finished the set with a kill. Wingate hit .243 in the frame, while holding the Eagles to a .121 hitting percentage.

A Willis kill put Wingate on top 13-10 in the fourth set. The Eagles rallied back to tie the set at 14 on an ace from Troyer. The Bulldogs responded with the next three points, sparked by a block from Billo and Gale to make it 17-14. A kill from senior Caitlin Schlegel (Anacortes, Wash.) cut the lead to 18-16. Wingate again had the answer, scoring the final seven points of the set. Willis racked up three aces in the spurt, while Billo and Bloemer each contributed a kill. The Bulldogs hit .250 in the final frame, while Carson-Newman hit .000.

Wingate hit .224 for the match, collecting 53 kills against 21 errors in 143 attacks. The Eagles had 45 kills against 26 errors in 137 attacks for a .139 hitting percentage. The Bulldogs racked up eight aces, led by Willis with four.

The Bulldogs are back in action Saturday, traveling to Lincoln Memorial for a 4 p.m. start. The Eagles return to action Saturday, hosting Catawba College at 11:30 a.m.