Lexington, Ky.----Wingate University freshman middle blocker Lexi Potter (North Liberty, Iowa) has been named the AVCA Southeast Region Freshman of the Year, while the Bulldogs had three players named to the All-Region team. Senior setter Liz Willis (Raleigh, N.C.) earns AVCA All-Region honors for the fourth consecutive year, while redshirt sophomore right-side hitter Anna Hilton (Hickory, N.C.) and sophomore outside hitter Cory McGowan (Pittsburgh, Pa.) are first-time selections.
 
The group led Wingate to its first-ever undefeated regular season, while also leading the Bulldogs to their sixth consecutive SAC title and fifth straight undefeated SAC season. The Bulldogs made their seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, while hosting the NCAA Southeast regionals for the fourth straight year. Wingate was ranked in every AVCA Top 25 poll in the 2011 season, ranking as high as 14th, which is the highest in SAC history. The Bulldogs have appeared in the last three regional title matches, while becoming the first-ever SAC school to make the NCAA Elite Eight in 2010. At 32-1, the Bulldogs once again rank among the national leaders in winning percentage. Wingate led the nation in 2007 and 2010, while ranking third in 2008 and 2009. The Bulldogs are 163-9 overall since the start of the 2007 season, leading the nation with a .948 winning percentage. Wingate will enter the 2012 season looking to extend its league-record 82 match SAC winning streak, while also riding a 50-match regular season winning streak.
 
Potter leads the SAC with a .315 hitting percentage, while ranking third in the league with 1.10 blocks per set. She is the second Wingate player to earn region Player of the Year accolades, joining Willis, who won in 2008. The SAC Freshman of the Year, Potter averaged 1.86 kills per set in her first year at Wingate, and was the only player in the conference to rank in the top three in the league in hitting percentage and blocks. She piled up a career-high 16 kills with a .412 hitting percentage in the regional title match, adding seven blocks. Potter had eight matches with at least eight kills in 2011, while hitting over .400 on 10 different occasions. She had 10 kills in 16 swings against Newberry, while notching nine kills in 18 swings in Wingate’s final two matches against Tusculum. Potter had at least one block in each of Wingate’s final 10 matches.
 
Willis adds this accomplishment to an incredible list of achievements this season and in her career. The SAC and Region Player of the Year, Willis was also named the SAC Scholar Athlete and SAC Tournament MVP in 2011. She is the only volleyball player in league history to earn the big three awards in one season, while also becoming the first-ever player to be named Freshman of the Year, Player of the Year and SAC Scholar Athlete. She also earned a spot on the NCAA Southeast Region All-Tournament team. She led the SAC and ranked fourth nationally with 11.72 assists per set, adding 2.77 digs per set and 57 kills on the year. Willis notched 10 double-doubles on the year, while handing out at least 40 assists 15 times. She had a career-high 60 assists in her final match at Wingate. Willis earned All-SAC and All-Region honors in all four of her seasons at Wingate, while leading the Bulldogs to an incredible overall record of 130-7 in her career.
 
Hilton earned first team All-SAC honors in her second year at Wingate, while earning first team All-Region honors from Daktronics. She was third in the SAC with a .303 hitting percentage, while ranking seventh with 3.12 kills per set. Hilton also finished second on the team with 2.96 digs and 0.74 blocks per set on the year. She led the team with 12 double-doubles on the season, while piling up double-digit kills 22 times. Hilton hit .400 or better 12 times in 2011. She followed a 16-kill, 14-dig performance at Mars Hill with 17 kills and 10 digs at LMU. Hilton had 16 kills and 15 digs at Catawba, while notching 10 kills with a .588 hitting percentage against LMU. She had 14 kills and a career-best 24 digs at Tusculum, while collecting 12 kills, 16 digs and a .522 hitting percentage at Lenoir-Rhyne. Hilton had 10 kills, 10 digs and a .400 hitting percentage in the regional semifinal sweep over Catawba.
 
McGowan was also a first team All-SAC selection in 2011, while earning second team All-Region accolades from Daktronics. She finished third in the SAC with 3.32 kills per set, adding 1.92 digs and 0.41 blocks per set. She had four double-doubles on the season, while notching double-digit kills 19 times. She earned NCAA Southeast Region All-Tournament honors, piling up a tournament-best 47 kills in three matches. McGowan had 18 kills with a .500 hitting percentage in the win over Flagler. She had 12 kills in 17 swings against Fayetteville State, while notching 16 kills with a .464 hitting percentage against Carson-Newman. McGowan hit .500 with 12 kills against Newberry, while collected 18 kills and eight digs in the SAC quarterfinal win over Carson-Newman. She had 12 kills and 19 digs in the SAC title match against Catawba, and piled up 15 kills, nine digs and three blocks in the regional quarterfinals against Lees-McRae. McGowan had 15 kills, 14 digs and a .433 hitting percentage in the regional semifinal win over Catawba, while capping the season with 17 kills and 15 digs in the regional title match.
 
AVCA All-Southeast Region Team
Brendyce Budd, Armstrong Atlantic
Dianna Craine, Flagler
Casey Gnann, Flagler
Anna Hilton, Wingate
Cory McGowan, Wingate
Crystal Niederriter, Flagler
Jordan Raye, Catawba
Jessica Santaneillo, Armstrong Atlantic
Olivia Snipes, Flagler
Emilee Taylor, Flagler
Kaitlyn Whitmer, Catawba
Brittany Wolf, Armstrong Atlantic
Jenny Young, Catawba
Liz Willis, Wingate
 
Region Freshman of the Year:          Lexi Potter, Wingate
 
Honorable Mention: Taylor Clendenin (Lees-McRae), Caitlyn Dean (Tusculum), Blaire Fowler (Lincoln Memorial), Shay Meeks (Catawba), Leia Pittman (Armstrong Atlantic), Ashley Seal (Armstrong Atlantic)