Box Score
 
Aiken, S.C.----The 20th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs held the Jaguars of Augusta State to a .036 hitting percentage Saturday morning en route to a 3-0 victory on day two of the 2012 Aiken Invitational. The Bulldogs won by scores of 25-17, 25-10 and 26-24 to improve to 7-0 overall, winning their 57th consecutive regular season match. Augusta Sate falls to 3-3 on the season.
 
Redshirt junior right-side hitter Anna Hilton (Hickory, N.C.) had 11 kills to lead the Wingate attack, hitting .348. Sophomore middle blocker Lexi Potter (North Liberty, Iowa) added six kills and four blocks, while freshman outside hitter Hannah Huffman (Colorado Springs, Colo.) had four kills with a .500 hitting percentage. Redshirt sophomore setter Alison Cooke (Davidson, N.C.) had 20 assists and 11 digs for the Bulldogs.
 
“Although we did win 3-0, it was interesting for us to win with so many of our hitters having below average matches,” head coach Shelton Collier says. “We managed to find some other ways to come out with a win, however, our offensive efficiency will really need to improve for us to keep winning.”
 
Alex Rohlfing had a match-high 12 kills to lead the Augusta State attack. Kristen Koch added six kills for the Jaguars. Krystin Wahlig had 17 assists and 13 digs, while Collette Richards collected 14 digs.
 
Kills from Potter and junior middle blocker Allison Rickher (Matthews, N.C.) gave Wingate a 13-7 lead in the opening frame. A 3-0 run, highlighted by a kill from junior outside hitter Cory McGowan (Pittsburgh, Pa.) put the ‘Dogs on top 18-10. The Jaguars trimmed the deficit to five when a Rohlfing kill made it 20-15, but Hilton and Huffman answered with kills to push the lead back to six. A Potter kill made it 24-17, while Huffman capped the opening set with an ace.
 
A 6-0 run put Wingate on top 15-6 in the second set. Freshman outside hitter Shelly Stumpff (Iowa City, Iowa) had a pair of kills in the spurt. Kills from Stumpff and junior outside hitter Kayla Osterhus (Matthews, N.C.) pushed the lead to 12 at 21-9. Cooke finished the second frame in style, reeling off three consecutive aces. The Bulldogs held Augusta State to a hitting percentage of -.030 in set two.
 
Three consecutive Jaguar errors gave the Bulldogs a 14-10 lead in set three. Kills from Rohlfing and Jenna Keeler cut the deficit to one at 15-14. Kills from Huffman, Potter and Hilton sparked a 4-0 run that gave Wingate a 19-14 lead. Another Hilton kill made it 20-15. The Jaguars would not go away, despite a block from Stumpff and senior middle blocker Grace Krauser (Louisville, Ky.) that gave the Bulldogs a 23-19 advantage. A block from Keeler, followed by a kill from Leslye Barnette cut the lead to two. Rohlfing added back-to-back kills to tie it at 23. A Hilton kill was answered by another Rohlfing kill to make it 24-24. Hilton slammed home another kill to put Wingate on top by one, while the 2011 honorable mention All-American registered her 11th kill of the match on the next play to secure the victory.
 
Wingate hit .196 on the match, with 35 kills and 14 errors in 107 attacks. The Jaguars had 29 kills and 25 errors on the match, hitting .036. Cooke had four of Wingate’s nine aces, while Potter’s four blocks were a match-high.
 
Wingate has one match remaining in the Aiken Invitational, taking on 15th-ranked and defending regional champion Flagler Saturday at 2 p.m. The Bulldogs and Saints have met seven times since 2009, with Wingate holding a 4-3 edge in the series. The two teams have met in the last three regional title matches, with the Saints winning in 2009 and 2011 and Wingate winning in 2010.