Box Score  

Mars Hill, N.C.----For only the third time in 11 conference matches, the 14th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs dropped a set Saturday afternoon, but responded with a 3-1 victory at Mars Hill College in South Atlantic Conference volleyball action. Wingate won by scores of 27-25, 21-25, 25-19 and 25-17 to improve to 15-2 overall and 11-0 in the SAC. The 'Dogs have now won 12 consecutive matches and 26 straight SAC contests. Mars Hill falls to 9-6 overall and 7-4 in the conference.

Redshirt senior right-side hitter Anna Hilton (Hickory, N.C.) piled up 17 kills, 16 digs and eight blocks to lead the Wingate attack. Junior middle blocker Lexi Potter (North Liberty, Iowa) added 13 kills and five blocks, while junior outside hitter Susie Murach (Burke, Va.) contributed 10 kills. Senior middle blocker Allison Rickher (Matthews, N.C.) had six kills and eight blocks, hitting .316 on the afternoon. Redshirt junior setter Alison Cooke (Davidson, N.C.) had 35 assists, 11 digs, four blocks and three kills in three sets of action, while junior libero Stephanie Tassone (Chicago, Ill.) had a match-high 28 digs.

"Entering the match Mars Hill was in third place in the league, with some good wins," head coach Shelton Collier says. "They played well, plus we showed we had difficulty getting our level of play back today after a big win at Tusculum Friday night. We have another tough road trip next weekend and we learned some valuable lessons this weekend that should help us as we work to reach our goals."

MaryKate Griffin had 16 kills to lead the Mars Hill attack. Marissa Wixson added 13 kills and eight digs, while Toni Cole contributed eight kills and seven digs. Victoria Kaiser had five kills and 19 digs for the Lions. Courtney Worthington handed out 29 assists, while Maggie Murphy had 25 digs.

A Griffin kill and Wingate error gave the Lions an 11-7 lead in the opening set. The Bulldogs scored the next five points to take the lead, getting a pair of Rickher blocks in the spurt. A Wixson kill and Cole ace pushed the MHC lead back to four at 18-14, but a pair of Hilton kills, along with a Potter kill cut the lead to one at 18-17. Wixson answered with a kill, while a Wingate error made it 20-17. A Hilton kill, along with an ace from freshman outside hitter Shelby Nassar (Waxhaw, N.C.) helped Wingate tie the set at 20. The Lions took a 22-20 advantage on a Kaiser kill, but a kill and a block from Potter tied it at 22. A Cole kill gave Mars Hill set point, but Murach answered with a kill. Another Cole kill gave the Lions a 25-24 lead, but Hilton responded with a kill. Hilton and Rickher followed with a block to put Wingate on top, while another Hilton kill ended the opening set.

The second set stayed tight early, until a 5-0 run gave the Lions a 15-11 advantage. Griffin and Wixson each had a kill in the flurry. The 'Dogs responded by scoring the next four points, tying it at 15 on a block and a kill from Hilton. Two Wixson kills helped Mars hill push the lead back to three at 18-15. Rickher and Hilton teamed for a block to help Wingate cut the lead to one, but two Wingate errors pushed the MHC advantage back to three at 20-17. A Mars Hill error and Murach kill got the Bulldogs back to within one at 21-20, but the Lions claimed the set by scoring four of the final five points. Cole made it 24-21 with a kill, while a Wingate error ended the second frame, tying the match 1-1.

The third set would feature 10 ties and two lead changes. A kill and a block from Rickher gave Wingate an 11-9 lead, but kills from Wixson and Kaiser tied the set at 13. Back-to-back Wingate errors gave Mars Hill a 16-15 advantage. The Bulldogs used a 5-0 run to take a four-point lead. The first three points came via MHC errors, while a Potter ace and Murach kill finished the flurry. Kills from Murach and Rickher made it 22-17. A Hilton kill pushed the Wingate advantage to 23-18, while back-to-back Murach aces finished the third frame, giving the 'Dogs a 2-1 lead in the match.

Three consecutive Potter kills gave Wingate a 9-5 lead in the fourth set. An error cut the lead to three, but a 4-0 run pushed the advantage to seven at 13-6. Murach and Cooke each provided a kill in the spurt, while Potter added an ace. Kills from Hilton and Cooke gave the 'Dogs a 20-12 lead. A Potter kill and Cooke block pushed the advantage to 10 at 24-14. Wingate won the match on a Mars Hill error.

Wingate hit .136 for the match, with 50 kills and 26 errors in 176 attacks. Mars Hill had 48 kills and 34 errors in 185 attacks, hitting .076. Hilton and Rickher led the Bulldogs with eight blocks each. Potter and Murach led Wingate with two aces apiece.

The Bulldogs return to action Friday, traveling to Newberry for a 7 p.m. start.