BOX SCORE

Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs collected their 18th consecutive win, sweeping the Lions of Mars Hill College in South Atlantic Conference volleyball action Friday night in Cuddy Arena. The Bulldogs won by scores of 25-20, 25-17 and 25-17 to improve to 20-1 overall and 13-0 in the SAC. Wingate has now won 41 consecutive SAC home matches, and 59 straight SAC contests overall. The Lions fall to 8-9 on the season and 4-9 in the conference.

Senior middle blocker Stormi Gale (Richmond, Texas) led the Wingate attack with 13 kills, eight digs and five blocks on the night. Gale became just the second player in school history to eclipse the 1400 career kill mark, and now has 1,412 career kills. Senior middle blocker Rebecca Bloemer (Louisville, Ky.) celebrated senior night in style with season highs of 12 kills and six blocks, while hitting .579 for the match. Redshirt freshman outside hitter Anna Hilton (Hickory, N.C.) added seven kills for the Bulldogs.

Junior setter Liz Willis (Raleigh, N.C.) handed out 26 assists, while senior setter Amanda Clark (Timberlake, N.C.) added 21 assists. Junior libero Maggie Malone (Chicago, Ill.) collected a match-high 16 digs in two sets of action.

Junior outside hitter Evie Tafunai (Edwardsburg, Mich.) led the Lions with nine kills. Freshman outside hitter Marissa Wixson (Spring, Texas) added six kills and 10 digs. Senior setter Sarah Paquette (Swannanoa, N.C.) handed out 13 assists, while freshman libero Maggie Murphy (Richmond, Va.) had 14 digs.

A pair of Hilton kills sparked a 3-0 run to give the Bulldogs a 16-12 lead in the opening frame. Another Hilton kill made it 18-13. The Lions responded by scoring the next five points to tie the set at 18. Tafunai started the flurry with a kill, while a Wixson kill and Wingate error capped the spurt. The Bulldogs answered with a run of their own, scoring the next six points to take a 24-18 lead. Senior outside hitter Lauren Billo (Orland Park, Ill.) got it started with a kill that gave Wingate the lead for good. Bloemer took over from there, contributing a block and four kills to put the ‘Dogs on top by six. Gale capped the set with a kill.

A Wixson kill and a pair of Wingate errors gave the Lions a 10-7 advantage in the second set. Back-to-back Billo kills tied it at 12. A pair of Gale kills sparked a 3-0 run to put Wingate on top 15-13. The ‘Dogs added a 4-0 run to take a 21-15 advantage. Freshman outside hitter Katie Handy (Palos Verdes, Calif.) got it started with a kill, while Willis capped it with an ace. A kill and an ace from junior outside hitter Janice Ehorn (Orange, Conn.) put Wingate on top 23-16. Gale and Bloemer combined on a block to finish the set.

A Bloemer kill and Gale block put Wingate on top 11-7 in the final frame. Freshman outside hitter Cory McGowan (Pittsburgh, Pa.) had a pair of kills in a 3-0 spurt, while a block from Bloemer and Hilton capped the flurry to make it 16-10. The Lions would get no closer than five the rest of the way. Gale put a finishing touch on Wingate’s senior night with her 13th kill to finish the match.

The Bulldogs hit .325 for the night, while their 53 kills is a season high in a three-set match. Wingate, who ranks fourth nationally with 14.6 kills per set, had 15 or more kills in each frame, including 21 kills in the opening set. Mars Hill hit .114, with 27 kills and 15 errors in 105 attacks.

The Bulldogs return to action Saturday, hosting Tusculum College at 2 p.m. The Lions travel to Catawba Saturday at 2 p.m. 

(Wingate University assistant sports information director Hugh Patton wrote this article. Patton is a 2006 Wingate graduate with a B.A. degree in Communication Studies.)