BOX SCORE

Harrogate, Tenn.----The Wingate University Bulldogs won their 16th consecutive match Friday night, defeating Lincoln Memorial University 3-1 in South Atlantic Conference volleyball action. Wingate won by scores of 25-19, 19-25, 25-16 and 25-20 to improve to 18-1 overall and 11-0 in the SAC. The Bulldogs have now won 57 consecutive SAC matches. LMU falls to 14-4 overall and 7-4 in the conference.

Senior middle blocker Stormi Gale (Richmond, Texas) had 14 kills and 13 digs, while hitting .464 to lead the Wingate attack. Freshman outside hitter Cory McGowan (Pittsburgh, Pa.) added 13 kills and 14 digs for the Bulldogs, while sophomore middle blocker Grace Krauser (Louisville, Ky.) contributed eight kills. Senior setter Amanda Clark (Timberlake, N.C.) had 21 assists and 11 digs, while junior setter Liz Willis (Raleigh, N.C.) added 20 assists and 11 digs. Junior libero Maggie Malone (Chicago, Ill.) collected a match-high 19 digs.

Freshman outside hitter Kaitlin Walton (Muncie, Ind.) led the Railsplitters with 10 kills while hitting .357 on the night. Junior middle blocker Kaitlin Posnak (Clearwater, Fla.) and senior outside hitter Ashley Knight (Palm Harbor, Fla.) had seven kills each for LMU. Senior setter Lauren Kiwacka (Tipp City, Ohio) had 21 assists, nine digs and seven kills, while sophomore libero Kristen Cantrell (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) notched 18 digs.

The Railsplitters used a 6-0 run to take a 10-8 lead in the first set, capped by a pair of Walton kills and a Kiwacka ace. The Bulldogs used a 4-0 run to take a 14-13 advantage. Gale had a pair of kills to start it, while a kill from redshirt freshman outside hitter Anna Hilton (Hickory, N.C.) finished the flurry. An ace and a pair of kills from McGowan sparked a decisive 6-1 run to give Wingate a 23-17 lead. Gale finished the set with a kill.

Kills from McGowan and senior outside hitter Lauren Billo (Orland Park, Ill.) put Wingate on top 14-12 in the second set. A Bulldog error cut the lead to one. The ‘Dogs answered with three consecutive points, capped by a Hilton kill, to take a 17-13 lead. The Railsplitters had the emphatic answer, scoring 12 of the final 14 points in the set. LMU took the lead for good when a Walton kill made it 18-17. Back-to-back Walton kills made it 24-18, while the Railsplitters would finish the set on a Wingate error.

A 6-0 run gave the Bulldogs a 14-6 lead in the third set. Billo and senior middle blocker Rebecca Bloemer (Louisville, Ky.) each had a pair of kills in the spurt, while Krauser capped it with a kill. The ‘Dogs took a 20-10 lead on a pair of LMU errors. A Krauser kill made it 24-14, while Bloemer capped the set with a kill.

Wingate came out hot in the fourth set, taking a 7-2 lead thanks to three kills each from Gale and McGowan. Five consecutive Bulldog errors tied the set at seven. An ace from Malone, followed by a kill from Gale made it 13-9. A pair of kills from Knight, along with a Wingate error gave Lincoln Memorial a 14-13 lead. Wingate fought back, getting an ace and a kill from Gale to take a 19-16 advantage. The ‘Dogs added a 3-0 run, getting kills from McGowan and Krauser, to take a 22-17 lead. A Walton ace and Wingate error cut the lead to two at 22-20. The Bulldogs answered by scoring the final three points of the match. Krauser started it with a kill, while Krauser and Billo capped the set with a block.

Wingate hit .204 on the night, with 51 kills and 22 errors in 142 attacks. LMU had 39 kills and 19 errors on 150 attacks for a .133 hitting percentage. Bloemer had four block assists to lead the Bulldogs, while Gale had a pair of solo blocks.

The Bulldogs return to action Saturday, traveling to Carson-Newman for a 2 p.m. start. Lincoln Memorial will host Catawba Saturday afternoon.