Box Score

Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs overcame a first-set loss Saturday afternoon, registering a 3-1 victory over the visiting Eagles of Carson-Newman College in South Atlantic Conference volleyball action in Cuddy Arena. Wingate won by scores of 22-25, 31-29, 25-14, 25-17 to improve to 16-2 overall and 7-2 in the SAC. The Eagles fall to 8-10 overall and 2-7 in the conference.

Redshirt junior right-side hitter Anna Hilton (Hickory, N.C.) had 17 kills, 14 digs, seven assists and three blocks to lead the Wingate attack, hitting .471 on the afternoon. Sophomore outside hitter Susie Murach (Burke, Va.) added 15 kills and five digs, while freshman outside hitter Shelly Stumpff (Iowa City, Iowa) had 13 kills and 10 digs. Senior middle blocker Grace Krauser (Louisville, Ky.) had 10 kills and seven blocks for the Bulldogs, hitting .556 on the match. Redshirt sophomore setter Alison Cooke (Davidson, N.C.) had 25 assists, four digs, three blocks and three kills, while freshman Iris Brewer (Cincinnati, Ohio) had 25 assists and four kills. Junior libero Rianne Lang (Littleton, Colo.) registered 13 digs.

“I am very proud of the way we played today,” head coach Shelton Collier says. “We played at a very high level to earn the victory. Winning game two 31-29 could potentially define the season, because had we lost the game, the outcome of the match could have been very different. Anna Hilton was once again very impressive with an exceptional performance.”

Junior right-side hitter Emily Schultz (Atlanta, Ga.) had 13 kills and three blocks for the Eagles, hitting .345. Sophomore outside hitter Lauren Santarelli (Colorado Springs, Colo.) had 12 kills, two blocks and two aces for the Eagles, while senior middle hitter Sabina Papala (Laziska Gorne, Poland) added 11 kills and five blocks. Sophomore setter Kristen Pickett (Cleveland, Tenn.) handed out 53 assists, while senior libero Angelle Hayes (Brentwood, Tenn.) piled up 36 digs.

A pair of Schultz kills gave Carson-Newman an early 8-3 lead in the first set. Kills from Santarelli and O’Neal gave the Eagles a 14-8 advantage. Wingate used a 4-0 run, highlighted by a Hilton kill, to get within two at 16-14. Carson-Newman answered with four straight points, taking a 22-16 lead on a block and a kill from Santarelli. Wingate’s 4-0 run trimmed the deficit to two at 22-20. Murach had two kills and a block in the spurt. The Eagles answered with a Santarelli kill, while a kill from senior outside hitter Rachel Bowlin (Morristown, Tenn.) made it 24-22. Santarelli capped the opening frame with a kill.

The second set stayed tight throughout, featuring an incredible 20 ties and 13 lead changes. A Murach kill and Carson-Newman error put Wingate on top 20-18. The Eagles answered with three straight points, taking a 21-20 lead on a Schultz kill. The Bulldogs got kills from Hilton and Murach to take a 23-22 advantage, but kills from Schultz and sophomore outside hitter Rachel Harper (Chattanooga, Tenn.) put the Eagles on top 24-23. Hilton and sophomore middle blocker Lexi Potter (North Liberty, Iowa) teamed for a huge block to fend off set point, while Stumpff followed with a kill to put Wingate on top. Papala had a kill and a block to get another set point opportunity for the Eagles, but Potter and Murach answered with kills to give the Bulldogs the advantage. A pair of Wingate errors gave the Eagles a 28-27 lead. Murach again had the answer, denying set point with a kill. Another chance at set point for the Eagles was denied by a Brewer kill, while a Carson-Newman error put Wingate on top 30-29. Hilton capped the set for the Bulldogs with a kill.

A 4-0 run helped Wingate take an 11-4 lead in the third set. Cooke, Stumpff, Murach and Potter each had a kill in the flurry. A kill and a block from Krauser put the Bulldogs on top 15-8. Another 4-0 run pushed the advantage to nine at 19-10. Carson-Newman would get no closer than eight the rest of the way. A kill from sophomore middle blocker Jenna Flanigin (Aldie, Va.) made it 24-12, while a block from Flanigin capped the set to give Wingate a 2-1 lead in the match. The Bulldogs hit .300 in the third frame, while holding Carson-Newman to a hitting percentage of -.033.

Five early kills from Stumpff gave the Bulldogs a 10-3 lead in the fourth set. Kills from Cooke and Murach gave Wingate a 16-8 advantage, while a Krauser kill would make it 17-9. A kill from Schultz trimmed the deficit to five at 17-12. The Bulldogs used a 4-0 run to take a 23-15 advantage. Hilton started the flurry with a kill, while Stumpff added a block and a kill. Stumpff made it 24-16 with a kill, while Murach capped the match with a kill. The Bulldogs hit .395 in the final frame, with 20 kills and just three errors.

Wingate hit .307 on the match, with a season-high 68 kills against 17 errors in 166 attacks. The Eagles had 58 kills and 27 errors in 161 attacks, hitting .193 on the afternoon. Krauser’s seven blocks led the way, while Potter added six. Papala led the Eagles with five blocks, while Santarelli had a match-high two aces.

Wingate returns to action Friday, traveling to Mars Hill for a 7 p.m. start. Carson-Newman hosts Newberry Friday at 7 p.m.