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Wingate, N.C.----Five different Bulldogs had at least seven kills Friday night as the 14th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs swept the visiting Eagles of Carson-Newman University in South Atlantic Conference volleyball action in Cuddy Arena. Wingate won by scores of 25-18, 29-27 and 25-22 to improve to 9-2 overall and 5-0 in the SAC. The Eagles fall to 6-6 overall and 1-4 in the conference. The Bulldogs have now won 20 consecutive league matches.

Junior outside hitter Susie Murach (Burke, Va.) had 10 kills to lead the Wingate attack. Sophomore outside hitter Shelly Stumpff (Iowa City, Iowa) and freshman middle blocker Abby Saehler (Iowa City, Iowa) added eight kills each. Redshirt senior right-side hitter Anna Hilton (Hickory, N.C.) had seven kills, 15 digs and five blocks, while junior middle blocker Lexi Potter (North Liberty, Iowa) added seven kills, three blocks and a .375 hitting percentage. Sophomore setter Iris Brewer (Cincinnati, Ohio) had 29 assists, 18 digs and three kills, while junior libero Stephanie Tassone (Chicago, Ill.) added 10 digs.

"This was a good win for us for several reasons," head coach Shelton Collier says. "Carson-Newman is a talented team. We really had to fight to win the second set and in the third set we had to come back from a huge deficit. I am pleased we could win 3-0 because we have a very tough opponent in Lincoln Memorial tomorrow."

Rachel Harper had a match-high 11 kills to lead the Carson-Newman attack, adding 12 digs. Emily Schultz had 10 kills, while Kiayna O'Neal added six kills for the Eagles. JaLesa Beaver and Lauren Santarelli had five kills apiece for Carson-Newman. Kristen Pickett had 33 assists, 14 digs and six kills, while Taylor Lowe had a match-high 23 digs.

A 4-0 run gave Wingate a 10-6 lead in the opening set. Potter started it with a kill, while a Murach kill capped it. The Eagles used a 5-0 run to tie the set at 12. Schultz had a kill and a block in the flurry. The 'Dogs scored the next four points, getting a pair of blocks from Saehler and Hilton to take a 16-12 advantage.  A Beaver kill cut the lead to three, but a kill and a block from Stumpff made it 19-14. A pair of Saehler kills helped Wingate take a 24-17 lead, while a Hilton kill capped the opening frame.

The second set stayed tight throughout, featuring 16 ties and eight lead changes. Hilton gave Wingate a 13-9 lead with a kill. Carson-Newman tied it at 13 on back-to-back Santarelli kills. No team would lead by more than two the rest of the way. An O'Neal kill and Wingate error gave the Eagles a 24-23 lead, but a block from Hilton and Potter tied it. Pickett answered with a kill to give Carson-Newman another set point, but Stumpff responded with a kill. An ace from redshirt junior setter Alison Cooke (Davidson, N.C.) gave Wingate the lead, but kills from Harper and O'Neal put the Eagles back on top by one. A Carson-Newman error tied it, while a kill from Murach gave the 'Dogs a 28-27 lead. Saehler capped the second set with a kill.

The Eagles scored the first five points of the third set, capped by a Beaver kill. Wingate battled back, using a 3-0 run to take a 12-11 lead on back-to-back Brewer kills. The Bulldogs would then use an 8-0 run to take a 20-12 advantage. Hilton had two kills and a block in the flurry, while Murach added two kills. The Eagles would use a 5-0 run to cut the lead to three when a Harper ace made it 21-18. Kills from Santarelli and Schultz cut the Wingate lead to one at 23-22. Potter answered with a kill, while a Carson-Newman error finished the match.

The Bulldogs hit .217 on the night, with 44 kills and 14 errors in 138 attacks. Carson-Newman had 43 kills and 22 errors in 128 attacks, hitting .164. Brewer had two aces to lead Wingate, while Harper and Pickett had two each for the Eagles. Hilton's five blocks were a match high, while Potter and Saehler added three each.

The Bulldogs are back in action Saturday, hosting Lincoln Memorial at 2 p.m.