BOX SCORE

Harrogate, Tenn.----Wingate University redshirt sophomore middle blocker Anna Hilton (Hickory, N.C.) had 17 kills, 10 digs and three blocks to lead the Bulldogs to a 3-1 South Atlantic Conference volleyball victory over Lincoln Memorial University Saturday afternoon at Mary Mars Gymnasium on the LMU campus.

Wingate prevailed by game scores of 25-21, 21-25, 25-16 and 25-14. The 19th-ranked Bulldogs (6-0 overall, 2-0 SAC) have won 66 consecutive SAC volleyball matches. The host LMU Railsplitters are 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the SAC.

Hilton hit .268 to lead Wingate’s primary hitters. Bulldog junior middle blocker Grace Krauser (Louisville, Ky.) and sophomore outside hitter Cory McGowan (Pittsburgh, Pa.) had 13 kills each. The Elite 88™ award winner for the 2010 NCAA Division II women’s volleyball championship, Krauser posted five digs and three blocks.

Wingate senior setter Liz Willis (Raleigh, N.C.) had 45 assists, eight digs and five kills in seven swings (.714 hitting percentage). Bulldog senior libero Maggie Malone (Chicago, Ill.) recorded 36 digs. Freshman outside hitter Susie Murach (Burke, Va.) had five kills, 14 digs and three blocks.

For LMU, junior middle blocker Blaire Fowler (Fort Worth, Texas) had 11 kills and 15 digs. Sophomore outside hitter Kaitlin Walton (Muncie, Ind.) had eight kills, but recorded eight errors as the Railsplitters managed to hit only .054 Saturday. LMU freshman setter Allison Beavers (Tomball, Texas) dished out 17 assists, while junior running mate Brittany Pugh (Farmersburg, Ind.) had 14 assists. Sophomore defensive specialist Chelsea Ferron (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) had a team-high 17 digs.

“Lincoln Memorial has a number of talented players…for our block and defense to hold each of them to such low hitting percentages is very impressive,” Wingate head coach Shelton Collier says. “This is a very challenging two-match road trip, so to come away with two victories this weekend is great for us.”

Wingate hit .469 in the deciding fourth set, collecting 15 kills in 32 swings. The Bulldogs did not make an error in the fourth set. McGowan had four kills in five swings, while Hilton and Willis recorded three kills each (in four swings each). The Bulldogs scored four early points on Murach’s serve to turn a 5-4 edge into a 9-4 advantage. Wingate doubled up LMU at 16-8, thanks to a Railsplitter ball-handling error. The hosts would get no closer than seven down the stretch. McGowan ended the frame with a kill.

Lincoln Memorial hit negative .043 in the third set as Wingate broke a 1-1 deadlock. A Willis kill put the Bulldogs up 10-5. Wingate scored four points on Hilton’s serve to take a 14-5 lead on another Willis kill. Her second termination (in three game three swings) completed a 5-0 run for the visitors. Lincoln Memorial battled, but could not cut the deficit below five the rest of the set.

The Railsplitters hit a match-best .158 in the second set, tying the sets at 1-1. Fowler had four kills, no errors and nine attempts in the second set. Wingate led 8-3 after kills by Hilton and senior outside hitter Janice Ehorn (Orange, Conn.) and an LMU attack error. The Bulldogs pushed their advantage to 12-4, thanks to two kills from Krauser in a 4-1 flurry. Lincoln Memorial answered, posting a 6-1 run to cut the deficit to 13-10. Fowler finished the run with a kill.

Wingate kept the advantage until Pugh converted a kill to tie the set at 18-18. The two teams traded body blows until LMU scored the final four points to take the set 25-21. An ace from Beavers and two Bulldog attack errors completed the frame.

The Bulldogs had a set-high 17 kills in the first frame, taking the opener 25-21. A kill by Hilton broke a 12-12 tie and gave the visitors the lead for good. Wingate freshman defensive specialist Stephanie Tassone (Chicago, Ill.) served the next four successful points, turning the 13-12 edge into a 17-12 advantage. Hilton had two kills in the pivotal 5-0 run. LMU stayed within striking distance, but could get no closer than two. Fittingly, Hilton finished the first set with a kill.

Wingate hit .218 for the match, with 58 kills and 24 errors in 156 attacks. The Railsplitters had 37 kills and 28 errors in 166 attacks for a .054 hitting percentage. Bulldog freshman middle blocker Lexi Potter (North Liberty, Iowa) led the Wingate defense with five blocks. Hilton, Krauser and Murach had three blocks each. The Bulldogs collected 20 blocks compared to three for the Railsplitters. Krauser topped the serving charts with two aces.

The Bulldogs open the home portion of their 2011 schedule Friday night, hosting Tusculum College for a 7 p.m. SAC contest. Wingate welcomes Mars Hill College Saturday at 2 p.m. LMU entertains the Mars Hill Lions Tuesday night for a 7 p.m. encounter.

“We have so much work to do in order to position ourselves for another championship run, particularly with our offense and our consistency,” Collier says. “We will work hard to improve both areas (this week). We are very excited about hosting our first home matches this weekend.”