BOX SCORE

Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs rallied back after dropping the first set, defeating Catawba College 3-1 in South Atlantic Conference volleyball action Tuesday night in Cuddy Arena. The Bulldogs won by scores of 24-26, 25-19, 25-17 and 25-23 to improve to 17-1 overall and 10-0 in the SAC. Catawba falls to 8-10 overall and 3-7 in the conference. Wingate has now won 56 consecutive SAC matches.

The Bulldogs were led by their two senior All-Americans. Middle blocker Stormi Gale (Richmond, Texas) had 16 kills, 10 digs, three blocks and two aces, while hitting .371 for the match. Outside hitter Lauren Billo (Orland Park, Ill.) added 16 kills and 15 digs, while topping the 1,000 career kill mark on the night. Freshman outside hitter Cory McGowan (Pittsburgh, Pa.) added nine kills and 15 digs for the Bulldogs. Both setters added double-doubles for Wingate. Junior Liz Willis (Raleigh, N.C.) had 27 assists and 18 digs, while senior Amanda Clark (Timberlake, N.C.) contributed 19 assists and 17 digs.

Sophomore outside hitter Kaitlyn Whitmer (Ferrum, Va.) had 18 kills and 13 digs to lead the Catawba attack, while hitting .306 on the night. Freshman middle blocker Anna Logan (Yadkinville, N.C.) added 10 kills, five digs and two aces for the Indians, while junior outside hitter Shay Meeks (Kings Mountain, N.C.) chipped in with eight kills. Sophomore setter Jordan Raye (Boonville, N.C.) had 40 assist and 17 digs, while sophomore libero Jenny Young (Roanoke, Va.) notched a match-high 29 digs.

The first set stayed tight throughout, featuring 17 ties and five lead changes. A kill from Meeks, along with a Wingate error gave Catawba a 16-13 lead. The Bulldogs answered with a 5-0 run to take an 18-16 lead. McGowan started it with a kill, while Billo and senior middle blocker Rebecca Bloemer (Louisville, Ky.) capped it with consecutive kills. The Indians battled back, taking a 21-20 lead on a Whitmer kill. The teams traded points, with Catawba taking a 25-24 lead on a Wingate error. The Indians took the first set on a Whitmer kill.

A block and a kill from Gale gave the ‘Dogs a 14-8 lead in the second set. A kill from sophomore middle blocker Grace Krauser (Louisville, Ky.) made it 17-10. Catawba cut the lead to four at 18-14 on an ace from Logan. Billo answered with a kill as the Bulldogs pushed the lead back to six at 20-14. A Gale kill, along with a pair of Catawba errors made it 24-18. McGowan finished the second frame with a kill.

The Bulldogs used a 7-0 run to turn a three-point lead into a 22-12 advantage in the third set. The flurry started with four Gale kills along with a Catawba error. Billo added an ace, while McGowan capped it with a kill. A Krauser kill made it 24-14. Catawba closed the deficit to 24-17 on a Raye kill, but the Bulldogs answered with a Bloemer kill to finish the frame. Wingate hit .500 in the third set, with 17 kills against just three errors.

Catawba jumped out to an 18-12 lead in the fourth set, capped by kills from Logan and Whitmer. The Bulldogs had the emphatic answer, scoring nine straight points to take a 21-18 lead. Krauser got it started with a kill, while Bloemer followed with back-to-back kills. After a Catawba time out, Billo slammed home a pair of kills that cut the lead to one. The ‘Dogs tied the set on a Catawba error, and took their first lead on another Indian error. Kills from McGowan and Bloemer finished the spurt. The Indians would not go away, tying the frame at 21 on a Logan ace. Consecutive Billo kills made it 23-21, but Catawba again had the response, tying it at 23 on a Whitmer kill. A Gale kill made it 24-23, while the Bulldogs claimed the match on a Catawba error.

Wingate hit .234 for the match, with 60 kills and 19 errors in 175 attacks. Catawba hit .165, with 54 kills and 23 errors in 188 attacks. Each team had six aces. McGowan and Gale had two each to lead Wingate, while Whitmer led the Indians with three.

The Bulldogs return to action Friday, traveling to Lincoln Memorial for a 7 p.m. start. Catawba plays at Carson-Newman Friday at 6:30 p.m.