Box Score

Wingate, N.C.----The 14th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs hit a season-high .381 Thursday night en route to a 3-0 victory over the visiting Bears of Lenoir-Rhyne University in South Atlantic Conference volleyball action in Cuddy Arena. Wingate won by scores of 25-16, 25-17 and 25-10, pushing its SAC winning streak to 22 matches while improving to 12-2 overall and 8-0 in the SAC. Lenoir-Rhyne falls to 6-4 overall and 3-3 in the conference.

Redshirt senior right-side hitter Anna Hilton (Hickory, N.C.) piled up 13 kills and 17 digs, hitting .650 on the match. Junior outside hitter Susie Murach (Burke, Va.) had 10 kills and six digs, hitting .360. Junior middle blocker Lexi Potter (North Liberty, Iowa) had eight kills in 10 swings, hitting .800 on the match. Sophomore outside hitter Shelly Stumpff (Iowa City, Iowa) had seven kills and four aces, while freshman middle blocker Abby Saehler (Iowa City, Iowa) hit .444 with six kills. Sophomore setter Iris Brewer (Cincinnati, Ohio) handed out 27 assists, while junior libero Stephanie Tassone (Chicago, Ill.) added 12 digs.

"We hit .381 as a team against one of the best blocking and defensive teams in the league, which was impressive," head coach Shelton Collier says. "We also did a great job against their top attackers, so it shows the progress we have been making in practice. This was our best match of the season and it came in a very important match against a very good team."

Ashley Wells had eight kills to lead the Lenoir-Rhyne attack, adding six digs. Morgan Bunker had six kills and seven digs, while Brittany Toffan and Kayla Morrow added five kills each. Briana Gottberg handed out 27 assists for the Bears, while Nkaujshua Lo registered 16 digs.

A kill and an ace from Stumpff gave Wingate a 10-6 lead in the opening set. A Toffan kill and Wingate error cut the lead to two at 12-10, but a 4-0 run gave the 'Dogs a 16-10 advantage. Hilton started the flurry with two kills, while Saehler and Stumpff added a block. Kills from Hilton and Potter gave Wingate a 20-12 lead, while kills from Saehler and Hilton made it 24-16. Saehler and Hilton capped the opening frame with a block. The Bulldogs piled up 18 kills in the first set.

The Bears raced out to a 10-3 lead in the second frame, getting four kills from Wells. The Bulldogs answered by scoring eight of the next nine points to tie it at 11. Stumpff had a kill and three aces in the flurry. A Wingate error gave the lead back to LRU, but an 8-0 Wingate run put the 'Dogs on top 19-12. Murach and senior middle blocker Allison Rickher (Matthews, N.C.) had two kills each in the spurt. A Stumpff kill and Murach ace made it 24-16, while another Rickher kill finished the set.

Kills from Potter, Murach and Hilton helped the Bulldogs a 10-5 lead in the third frame. A Morrow kill cut the lead to four, but a 6-0 run helped Wingate seize control of the set. Murach started the flurry with three straight kills, while Rickher capped it with three consecutive blocks. The Bulldogs used a 7-0 run to finish the match. Saehler had three kills in the flurry, while a Potter kill finished the match. Wingate hit a blistering .600 in the third frame, with 16 kills and just one error in 25 attacks.

The Bulldogs had 48 kills against just eight errors in 105 attacks on the night to hit .381. Lenoir-Rhyne had 29 kills and 15 errors in 105 attacks, hitting .133. Stumpff had four of Wingate's eight aces, while Tassone added two. Rickher registered a match-high four blocks.

Wingate returns to action Friday, hosting Brevard at 7 p.m. The Bears travel to Coker Friday at 6 p.m.