Box Score  

Wingate, N.C.----The 12th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs battled back from a 2-0 deficit Saturday afternoon to force a fifth set, but the 24th-ranked Pirates held on for a 15-13 win in the final frame for the 3-2 victory in NCAA Division II volleyball in Cuddy Arena. Armstrong won by scores of 25-17, 27-25, 18-25, 22-25 and 15-13 to move to 5-0 overall. Wingate falls to 6-1 on the season.

Emily Wylie had 20 kills to lead the Armstrong attack, while Stephanie Sfara added 19 kills, seven digs and three blocks. Rachel Thompson, Kamryn Sherman and Anna McGee contributed five kills each for the Pirates. Sherman handed out 45 assists while adding 19 digs, while Morgan Hill collected 20 digs.

Junior right-side hitter Shelly Stumpff (Iowa City, Iowa) had 13 kills, 15 digs, four blocks and two aces to lead the Wingate attack. Senior outside hitter Susie Murach (Burke, Va.) added 13 kills, six digs and three blocks, while senior middle blocker Lexi Potter (North Liberty, Iowa) had 11 kills and three blocks. Sophomore middle blocker Abby Saehler (Iowa City, Iowa) had 10 kills and seven blocks for the Bulldogs. Redshirt senior setter Alison Cooke (Davidson, N.C.) had 39 assists, 12 digs and five blocks, while senior outside hitter Cory McGowan (Pittsburgh, Pa.) had 16 digs.

"Armstrong deserves credit for a hard-fought win," head coach Shelton Collier says. "We certainly were in control of set two but they found a way to come back and win. We were proud of the team for fighting back and winning set three and four and obviously disappointed we could not close out a win in the fifth set. It was a great match with two talented, motivated teams."

A Sfara kill and Sherman ace gave the Pirates a 14-9 lead in set one. A Wylie kill and Wingate error made it 20-13. A Potter block trimmed to five, but a Sherman kill heled push the lead back to seven. Sfara capped the frame with a kill.

A Sfara kill gave Armstrong a 13-10 lead in set two. Wingate scored the next four points, getting three Potter kills to take a 14-13 lead. A McGowan kill put the 'Dogs on top by two, but a Wylie kill trimmed it back to one at 18-17. The Bulldogs scored the next five points, taking a 23-17 lead on a Saehler kill. A Wylie kill trimmed the lead to three at 23-20, but a Murach kill made it 24-20. Kills from McGee and Sfara, along with a pair of Wingate errors tied the set at 24. A Stumpff kill put the 'Dogs back on top, but a Sfara kill tied it. A Wingate error made it 26-25, while another Bulldog error gave the Pirates a 2-0 lead in the match.

Wingate used a 5-0 run to take a 14-9 lead in the third set, which was capped by back-to-back Murach kills. A Wingate error cut the lead to three at 14-11, but a kill and a block from Murach helped push the lead to seven at 18-11. A Potter kill, along with two Stumpff kills made it 23-15. Potter and Murach capped the frame with kills.

A Sfara kill and Wingate error gave the Pirates a 13-8 lead in the fourth set. A kill from freshman outside hitter Katie Bludau (Seabrook, Texas) trimmed the lead to three at 14-11, but another Wingate error gave Armstrong a 16-12 lead. A block and a kill from Saehler helped the Bulldogs cut the lead to one, while another Saehler kill tied it at 18. Back-to-back Thompson blocks gave the Pirates a 21-18 advantage. Stumpff answered with a kill, then went to the serving line to spark a 5-0 run, with Wingate taking a 23-21 lead on a Bludau kill. An error cut the lead to one at 23-22, but a Cooke kill made it 24-22. Cooke and Potter teamed for a block to cap the set, sending the match to a fifth set.

Armstrong took an 8-5 lead in the fifth set on a Sherman kill. Wingate would score seven of the next eight points to take a 12-9 lead. Stumpff, Potter and Murach contributed kills, while Bludau had two aces in the flurry. A pair of Sfara kills tied the set at 12, while a Sfara block put the Pirates on top by one. A Stumpff kill made it 13-13. Sfara put Armstrong on top 14-13, while Wylie capped the match with a kill.

Armstrong had 58 kills and 31 errors in the match, hitting .152. Wingate had 62 kills and 26 errors to hit .208. Saehler's seven blocks were a match high, while Bludau led the way with three aces.

The Bulldogs and Pirates meet again Saturday at 5 p.m. in Cuddy Arena.