BOX SCORE

Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs hit .316 as a team, as they notched their third South Atlantic Conference sweep of the week by defeating Carson-Newman College 3-0 in SAC volleyball action Saturday afternoon in Cuddy Arena. The Bulldogs won by scores of 25-15, 25-17 and 25-17 to improve to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in the SAC. The Eagles fall to 5-2 overall and 1-2 in the conference. Wingate has now won 49 consecutive SAC matches dating back to the 2007 season.

Senior middle blocker Stormi Gale (Richmond, Texas/Fort Bend Austin) led the Wingate attack with 10 kills to go along with six digs and three blocks, while hitting .556 on the day. Senior outside hitter Lauren Billo (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg) added nine kills for the Bulldogs. Senior middle blocker Rebecca Bloemer (Louisville, Ky./Assumption),  redshirt freshman outside hitter Anna Hilton (Hickory, N.C./Hickory) and freshman outside hitter Cory McGowan (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn Hills) chipped in with five kills each. Senior setter Amanda Clark (Timberlake, N.C./Person) handed out 17 assists, while sophomore middle blocker Grace Krauser (Louisville, Ky. /Presentation Academy) led Wingate with seven digs.

Senior outside hitter Carly Mozgai (Greensboro, N.C.) and junior outside hitter Carly Swisher (Fort Collins, Colo.) led the Carson-Newman attack with seven kills each. Freshman outside hitter Lindsey Bryant (Gainesville, Ga.) added six kills for the Eagles, while freshman setter Courtney Lawson (Chattanooga, Tenn.) led the way with 16 assists. Sophomore libero Angelle Hayes (Brentwood, Tenn.) collected a match-high 16 digs for Carson-Newman.

Wingate used a 3-0 run to take a 12-7 lead in the first set, capped by an ace from freshman defensive specialist Rianne Lang (Littleton, Colo. /Thunder Ridge). A kill from Gale, followed by a Hilton block pushed the lead to 17-9. Wingate took a 10-point lead on a block from Krauser and Bloemer, while freshman middle blocker Allison Rickher (Matthews, N.C./Weddington) capped the set with a kill. Wingate hit .375 in the first frame, while holding Carson-Newman to .069.

Kills from Bloemer and Krauser gave the ‘Dogs a 12-5 lead in the second set. Carson-Newman got within four at 14-10 on a Wingate error. The Bulldogs stretched the lead back out to six on a Billo kill. An ace from junior setter Liz Willis (Raleigh, N.C./Enloe) put the Bulldogs on top 21-12. A Gale kill gave Wingate a 24-16 advantage, while junior outside hitter Janice Ehorn (Orange, Conn./Amity) finished the set with a kill.

The third set was tied at 13 when Wingate went on a 6-0 run to take control. Billo got it started with a kill, while Hilton finished it off with a kill. A kill from Bryant got the Eagles within five at 22-17. Wingate answered by scoring the final three points, capped by Gale’s 10th kill of the day.

Wingate had 42 kills against 12 errors in 95 attacks for the .316 percentage. Carson-Newman had 30 kills and 20 errors in 101 attacks for a .099 hitting percentage. The Bulldogs had seven blocks on the day, led by Gale and Hilton with three each. Wingate also had seven aces, led by Gale and Willis with two each.

The Bulldogs return to action Wednesday night, hosting #22 Flagler College at 6 p.m. The Saints are the defending Southeast Regional champions, and handed Wingate its only loss of the 2010 season. Carson-Newman travels to Tusculum College Tuesday night for a 6:30 p.m. start.