BOX SCORE

Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs hit .341 for the match, while holding the Trojans to a .000 hitting percentage to notch a 3-0 victory over Anderson University in South Atlantic Conference volleyball action Saturday afternoon in Cuddy Arena. Wingate won by scores of 25-19, 25-11 and 25-6 to improve to 15-1 overall and 9-0 in the SAC. Anderson falls to 11-7 on the season and 5-4 in the conference. The Bulldogs have now won 55 consecutive SAC matches.

Senior outside hitter Lauren Billo (Orland Park, Ill.) and freshman outside hitter Cory McGowan (Pittsburgh, Pa.) led the Wingate attack with eight kills each. Billo added six digs, four aces, three blocks and a .333 hitting percentage, while McGowan had a team-best 12 digs along with a pair of blocks and a .350 hitting percentage. Redshirt freshman outside hitter Anna Hilton (Hickory, N.C.) added seven kills and a .429 hitting percentage, while sophomore middle blocker Grace Krauser (Louisville, Ky.) had five kills on nine swings for a .556 hitting percentage. Junior setter Liz Willis (Raleigh, N.C.) had 18 assists and eight digs, while junior libero Maggie Malone (Chicago, Ill.) collected nine digs in one set of action.

Freshman outside hitter Tori Calhoon (Costa Mesa, Calif.) and senior outside hitter Jamie Lancaster (Fountain Inn, S.C.) led the Anderson attack with seven kills each. Senior setter Lindsay Doggett (Jacksonville, Ala.) had 15 assists and eight digs for the Trojans, while senior libero Adria Mullaney (Tampa, Fla.) had a match-high 15 digs.

A block and a kill by Krauser, along with a pair of Anderson errors gave Wingate an early 8-3 lead in the first set. Anderson fought back, tying the set at 11 on a Lancaster kill, then taking the lead on a block from Doggett and freshman middle blocker Chelsea Olson (Huntington Beach, Calif.). Billo tied the set at 13 with a kill, and Wingate regained the lead for good on a McGowan kill. Kills by Hilton and Krauser capped a 7-1 run which gave the ‘Dogs a 19-14 lead. Anderson cut the lead to two on a block from Olson and Doggett to make it 21-19. Wingate answered by scoring the final four points of the set. Senior middle blocker Rebecca Bloemer (Louisville, Ky.) got it started with a kill, while a block from Bloemer and Gale made it 24-19. Billo capped the first set with a kill.

The Bulldogs used a 6-0 run to take a 15-7 lead in the second frame. Hilton started the flurry with a kill, while Billo followed with back-to-back aces. Another Billo ace finished the spurt. The lead would not go below seven the rest of the way. A Willis kill made it 22-10, while Wingate would finish the set with four consecutive Anderson errors.

The Bulldogs exploded out of the gates in the third set, taking a 16-2 lead. Hilton had four kills in the opening spurt, while Krauser had a kill, a block and an ace for the Bulldogs. Anderson would get no closer than 13 the rest of the way. Freshman middle blocker Allison Rickher (Matthews, N.C.) contributed a block and back-to-back aces to make it 23-6. Freshman outside hitter Kayla Osterhus (Matthews, N.C.) added a kill to make it 24-6, while Krauser and Willis finished the match with a block.

Wingate had 38 kills and seven errors in 91 attempts for the .341 hitting percentage. The ‘Dogs hit .571 in the final frame, with 13 kills and just one error. Anderson had 23 kills and 23 errors in 108 attacks. The Trojans hit -.121 in the second frame and -.179 in the final set. Wingate had seven aces on the afternoon, led by Billo’s four. The Bulldogs also had 18 blocks on the afternoon, led by Gale’s four.

Wingate returns to action at 4 p.m. to take on Montevallo in a key regional matchup. Anderson and Montevallo face each other at 2 p.m. in Cuddy Arena.