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Wingate, N.C.----The 16th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs swept the Catawba College Indians 3-0 in South Atlantic Conference volleyball action Tuesday night in Cuddy Arena. Wingate won by scores of 25-17, 26-24 and 25-14 to improve to 9-0 overall and 5-0 in the SAC. The Bulldogs have now won 32 consecutive regular season matches and 69 straight SAC contests dating back to the 2006 season. Catawba falls to 9-3 overall and 4-2 in the SAC.
 
Junior middle blocker Grace Krauser (Louisville, Ky.) had 12 kills, six digs and a .320 hitting percentage to lead the Wingate attack. Sophomore outside hitter Cory McGowan (Pittsburgh, Pa.) added 11 kills for the Bulldogs, while redshirt sophomore middle blocker Anna Hilton (Hickory, N.C.) had eight kills, seven digs and a .316 hitting percentage. Senior setter Liz Willis (Raleigh, N.C.) had 40 assists and nine digs, while freshman outside hitter Susie Murach (Burke, Va.) collected a team-high 13 digs.
 
“We had one of the best crowds we have ever had once again; we are proud we played so well in such an exciting environment,” head coach Shelton Collier says. “Catawba is definitely one of the most experienced teams in the league, so it was a great win for us. Before the match, we talked about winning the leftside hitter battle and we held their two all-conference outside hitters to a combined .034 hitting percentage. Cory and Susie hit extremely well on the left side for us, which was a key factor tonight.”
 
Junior outside hitter Kaitlyn Whitmer (Ferrum, Va.) had 10 kills to lead the Catawba attack. Junior rightside hitter Alli Parrish (Zebulon, N.C.) added nine kills and nine digs. Junior libero Jenny Young (Roanoke, Va.) had 18 digs, while junior setter Jordan Raye (Boonville, N.C.) handed out 22 assists.
 
Kills from Murach and McGowan gave the Bulldogs a 15-10 lead in the opening set. A pair of Wingate errors trimmed the lead to three. A pair of McGowan kills, along with an ace from Krauser, gave the ‘Dogs a 20-13 lead. Catawba would get no closer than six the rest of the way. A Hilton kill made it 24-17, while the Bulldogs claimed the opening frame on a Catawba error. The Bulldogs hit .256 in the first set, while Catawba hit .048.
 
The second set was tightly contested with 16 ties and seven lead changes. The Bulldogs took a 3-0 lead, followed by three straight from Catawba to tie it. Neither team would lead by more than two the rest of the set. A kill from Raye gave the Indians an 18-16 lead. A Hilton block, along with Catawba error, tied the stanza at 20. Catawba had the answer, taking a 23-21 lead on an ace from Parrish. Krauser responded, slamming home a kill, then teaming for two straight blocks to give the ‘Dogs a 24-23 lead. The Indians tied things at 24, but Wingate answered with a Krauser kill to take a one-point lead. The Bulldogs claimed the second set on a Catawba error.
 
The Bulldogs used an 8-0 run to turn a one-point deficit into an 11-4 lead in the third frame. Krauser started the flurry with a kill, followed by a McGowan kill. Murach added two aces, while Krauser capped the spurt with a kill. A pair of Catawba errors made the score 17-9. A Parrish kill cut the lead to six. Hilton responded with a pair of kills to push the lead to nine at 22-13. Krauser capped the match with her 12th kill of the night. Wingate hit .257 in the final frame, while the Indians hit .000.
 
Wingate hit .243 for the night, with 42 kills and 16 errors in 107 attacks. Catawba, who entered the night leading the league in hitting percentage, had 27 kills and 20 errors in 110 attacks, hitting .064. Murach had a match-high three aces on the night, while four different Bulldogs had two blocks.
 
The Bulldogs are back in action Thursday, hosting Brevard College at 7 p.m. The contest ends a four-match home stand for the five-time defending SAC champions. Catawba hosts Brevard Saturday at 2 p.m.
 
(Wingate University assistant SID Hugh Patton wrote this article. Patton is a 2006 Wingate graduate with a B.A. degree in Communication Studies.)