BOX SCORE

Brevard, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs swept the Tornados of Brevard College 3-0 in South Atlantic Conference volleyball action Tuesday night. Wingate won by scores of 25-18, 27-25 and 25-13 to improve to 12-1 overall and 7-0 in the SAC. Brevard falls to 2-10 overall and 0-7 in the SAC. Wingate’s 53rd consecutive SAC win is also its 28th straight SAC road victory. Of the 53 wins, 35 of those triumphs have been sweeps.

Senior outside hitter Lauren Billo (Orland Park, Ill.) had 10 kills with a .529 hitting percentage. Senior middle blocker Stormi Gale (Richmond, Texas) had 10 kills and seven errors, while hitting .500 on the night. Freshman outside hitter Cory McGowan (Pittsburgh, Pa.) added six kills and seven digs, while junior outside hitter Janice Ehorn (Orange, Conn.) chipped in with five kills. Junior setter Liz Willis (Raleigh, N.C.) handed out 20 assists, while senior setter Amanda Clark (Timberlake, N.C.) collected 12 assists.

Freshman outside hitter Kortney Conner (Franklin, N.C.) had 12 kills to lead the Brevard attack. Junior middle hitter Ashlie Morrison (Denver, Colo.) added nine kills for the Tornados, while junior middle hitter Jordei Osby (Goldsboro, N.C.) added eight kills and six blocks. Sophomore setter Bethany Stevenson (Prattville, Ala.) had had 26 assists, while senior libero Rebecca Schoonover (Palm City, Fla.) collected 16 digs.

A Gale kill, followed by a block from sophomore middle blocker Grace Krauser (Louisville, Ky.) and redshirt freshman outside hitter Anna Hilton (Hickory, N.C.), gave the Bulldogs a 14-9 lead in the first set. Kills from Billo and senior middle blocker Rebecca Bloemer (Louisville, Ky.), along with a Brevard error, made it 18-11. A Morrison kill got Brevard within five at 20-15. A kill and a block from Gale stretched the lead to 23-16. Bloemer capped the first set with a kill.

Kills from Bloemer and Ehorn, along with a Krauser ace, gave Wingate a 14-9 lead in the second set. Back-to-back aces from Clark, along with a Brevard error, made it 18-11. The Tornados stormed back, using a 6-0 run to tie the set at 21. Morrison got it started with a pair of kills, while freshman setter Erin Cox (Stoneville, N.C.) capped it with a kill. A block from Osby and sophomore outside hitter Jamie Atkinson (Spartanburg, S.C.) put Brevard on top 23-22. An Ehorn kill and Brevard error put Wingate back on top 24-23. The teams traded points until Gale gave Wingate a 26-25 advantage. McGowan finished the second set with a kill.

The Bulldogs came out on fire in the third set, jumping out to a 17-3 lead. Billo had six kills in the opening spurt. A pair of Osby kills and Wingate errors cut the lead to 20-12. Billo added another kill to stretch the lead back to nine. A kill and a block from Gale, along with an ace from Clark made it 24-13. The ‘Dogs clinched the match on a Brevard error.

Wingate hit .260 for the match, with 41 kills against 16 errors in 96 attempts. The Tornados had 35 kills and 18 errors in 93 attacks for a .183 hitting percentage. The Bulldogs had seven aces on the night, led by Clark with three. Hilton led the Bulldogs with three blocks. 

Wingate returns to action Tuesday, Oct. 5, hosting Winston-Salem State University at 7 p.m. Brevard continues SAC play Friday, traveling to Carson-Newman College for a 5 p.m. league encounter.

(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.)