Highlights from Senior Night

Wingate, N.C.----Hi, my name is Maggie Malone and I am a senior volleyball player from Chicago. This past weekend, I finished up my final regular season as a Wingate University volleyball player. On Friday night, the three seniors, Janice Ehorn, Liz Willis and me were honored for our contributions to the volleyball program.
 
Personally, this night was to honor four of the greatest years of my life. This night could not have been more exceptional for the three of us. We will cherish that night forever and we will never forget our coaches, teammates, family and fans that have helped us along the way of our journey. A special thank you goes out to everyone who put in time and effort into making that night perfect for the three of us.
 
Saturday was a huge day for the Wingate University community as the Homecoming festivities took place all day long. I had the honor of being selected for the Homecoming Court and I was able to take place in the parade during the day. This was a great way of seeing all the school support and spirit everyone had for Wingate University. During the halftime of the football game, I was crowned Homecoming queen, which was a really cool moment for me as I finish up my last year at Wingate.
 
After all the fun of the day, it was time to focus on our last match of the regular season. Sweeping Newberry to end my last regular season match was a bittersweet feeling. A feeling of happiness to an undefeated season and to a fifth straight SAC undefeated season, but a feeling of sadness knowing that could have been the last time I step foot in Cuddy Arena for a match. As a student-athlete, you never believe in going undefeated in conference matches for a career, let alone a season. My senior class did just that. The three of us went undefeated in our career in conference regular season matches. This is a feeling of an accomplishment that I will never feel again. I could not be happier to say I am a proud member of the Wingate University team; I would not change that one bit.
 
A completion to an epic weekend ended with a trip to Rock Hill, S.C. Many other student-athletes and I traveled the hour to watch the women’s soccer team defeat conference rival Lenoir-Rhyne University for their first-ever conference tournament title. I could not be happier for the girls…I am so proud of each of them…a well-deserved achievement for a very hard-working and special team. Congratulations to the Wingate University’s women’s soccer team! Best of luck in the NCAA Southeast Regionals!
 
MAGGIE MALONE
 
A Mathematics and Education major at Wingate University, Malone is a two-time All-SAC and All-Region selection. She holds the school record for career digs, career digs per set, digs in a season, digs per set in a season, digs in a match and digs in a three-set match. She has helped lead Wingate to four consecutive undefeated SAC seasons and four straight SAC titles. Malone and her senior teammates finished their careers with a regular season record of 125-6. The Bulldogs have hosted the NCAA Division II Southeast Regionals three consecutive seasons (through 2010). Last year, Wingate become the first volleyball team in SAC history to reach the NCAA Elite Eight.
 
WINGATE SPORTS WEEKLY
 
The Wingate University Bulldog Club sponsors Wingate Sports Weekly each Wednesday at Hill Top Bistro in Monroe (602 E. Roosevelt Blvd.). The Dutch treat lunch begins at 12 noon. The gatherings give Bulldog fans an opportunity to interact with Wingate coaches and student-athletes. Wingate Sports Weekly replaces Wake Up with Wingate for the 2011-12 academic year.
 
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a comprehensive university with more than 2,500 students on three campuses in Wingate, Matthews and Hendersonville, N.C. The university offers 34 undergraduate majors, 37 minors and career concentrations, numerous pre-professional programs, graduate degrees in business, accounting, physician assistant studies and sports administration and doctorates in pharmacy and education.
 
Wingate students gain the tools and support they need to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. The campus community offers in-class learning, out-of-class experiences, strong mentors, a competitive yet caring environment and rewarding community service opportunities for a complete educational experience.
 
Bulldog student-athletes compete in 19 NCAA Division II sports. Wingate University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past five years.
 
Wingate University is ranked number three among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000’s with 39 honorees during this millennium. Only Pittsburg State (Kan.) University and Truman State (Mo.) University have produced more Academic All-America® honorees during this time period. Wingate’s 48 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.