Box Score

Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs piled up 13 blocks Tuesday night, holding the visiting Tornados of Brevard College to a hitting percentage of -.045 en route to a 3-0 victory in South Atlantic Conference volleyball action in Cuddy Arena. Wingate won by scores of 25-15, 25-19 and 25-12 to improve to 10-2 overall and 2-2 in the SAC. Brevard falls to 7-3 overall and 1-3 in the conference.
 
Sophomore middle blocker Lexi Potter (North Liberty, Iowa) had eight kills and six blocks to lead the Wingate attack, hitting .583. Redshirt junior right-side hitter Anna Hilton (Hickory, N.C.) added six kills and 14 digs, hitting .385. Freshman outside hitter Shelly Stumpff (Iowa City, Iowa) also had six kills for the Bulldogs, hitting .357 on the night. Freshman setter Iris Brewer (Cincinnati, Ohio) had a big night, piling up 28 assists, eight blocks, five digs, four aces and three kills.

“It was rewarding to see our team play some high-level volleyball,” head coach Shelton Collier says. “Obviously we are bouncing back from a couple significant setbacks, and our players well-aware that we must show progress very quickly to achieve our goals. It appeared we started that process tonight.”

Freshman outside hitter Fatima Gharachorloo (Mississauga, Ontario) had six kills to lead the Brevard attack. Junior outside hitter Joy Oswalt (Cape Carteret, N.C.) added five kills, while junior middle hitter Erin Rollins (Murphy, N.C.) had four kills. Junior setter Kayla Hanus (Kent, Wash.) had 19 assists and seven digs, while senior libero Sydney Yeomans (Ball Ground, Ga.) had a team-high 10 digs.
 
A 6-0 run gave the Bulldogs a 10-5 lead in the first set. Potter and Brewer combined for a pair of blocks in the spurt, while sophomore outside hitter Susie Murach (Burke, Va.) added an ace. A block from Hanus and Rollins trimmed the lead to three at 10-7. Another Brewer block pushed the advantage back to five, but the Tornados fought back, making it 12-10 on a Wingate error and Rollins ace. Another 6-0 run pushed the Bulldog lead to eight. Brewer had three aces in the flurry, while senior middle blocker Grace Krauser (Louisville, Ky.) capped it with a kill. A Hilton ace and Brewer kill made it 24-14, while Potter capped the opening set with a kill.
 
A kill and a block from Oswalt put Brevard on top 13-11 in the second set. Hilton tied the set at 14 with a kill, while 7-0 run pushed the advantage to six. Murach started it with a block and a kill, while a Potter kill, followed by a block from Brewer and Potter, made it 21-15. Brewer and junior middle blocker Allison Rickher (Matthews, N.C.) teamed for a block to make it 24-18, while freshman outside hitter Hannah Huffman (Colorado Springs, Colo.) capped the second frame with a kill.
 
The Bulldogs went on an emphatic 11-0 run in the third set to take a 14-6 lead. Potter started it with a kill, while Stumpff and Brewer added kills to put Wingate on top. Another Stumpff kill, followed by a kill and a block from Potter capped the flurry. Another 8-0 spurt pushed the advantage to 22-8. Brewer and Rickher teamed for a pair of blocks, while Rickher capped the flurry with back-to-back kills. A Brevard error made it 24-12, while Hilton and Rickher capped the match with a block.
 
Wingate hit .347 on the night, with 33 kills and just eight errors in 72 attacks. The Bulldogs hit over .400 in the final two sets. Brevard had 23 kills and 27 errors in 89 attacks for their -.045 hitting percentage. Brewer’s eight blocks were a match high, while Potter added six and Rickher contributed five. Brewer also led the way with four aces, while Potter had two.
 
The Bulldogs return to action Sunday, taking on Queens University of Charlotte at Carolina Courts in Indian Trail at 3 p.m. Brevard travels to Carson-Newman Thursday at 6:30 p.m.