Box Score

Newberry, S.C.----The 10th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs prevailed 3-1 Saturday afternoon at Newberry College in South Atlantic Conference volleyball action. Wingate won by scores of 25-15, 16-25, 25-12 and 25-22 to improve to 13-1 overall and 6-0 in the SAC. The 'Dogs have now won 43 consecutive SAC matches and 45 straight matches against the Wolves. Newberry falls to 7-7 overall and 1-5 in the conference.

Freshman outside hitter Katie Bludau (Seabrook, Texas) had 11 kills and 11 digs to lead the Wingate attack. Senior outside hitter Susie Murach (Burke, Va.) added 11 kills and three digs, while junior right-side hitter Shelly Stumpff (Iowa City, Iowa) had 10 kills and seven digs. Freshman outside hitter Haley Henderson (Santa Fe, Texas) added seven kills with a .500 hitting percentage, while senior middle blocker Lexi Potter (North Liberty, Iowa) contributed six kills, four aces, three digs and two blocks. Junior setter Iris Brewer (Cincinnati, Ohio) handed out 28 assists, while freshman libero Kori Adams (Ayden, N.C.) registered a career-high 21 digs.

"These Saturday afternoon road matches immediately following a big Friday night away match are a challenge for sure," head coach Shelton Collier says. "We played several lineups looking for a combination to get out of here with a win and we were pleased we had some players step up and find a way today."

Alexus Horton had 11 kills and five blocks to lead the Newberry attack, hitting .471. Lauren Pracher added six kills and 10 digs, while Logan Hayward also contributed six kills for the Wolves. Cydney Shaw had 20 assists and eight digs for the match, while Elayni Stokes collected 18 digs.

Kills from Bludau and Stumpff gave the Bulldogs a 12-9 lead in the opening frame. Newberry cut the lead to one when a Holly Brisson kill made it 13-12. Wingate answered with a 5-0 run to take an 18-12 advantage, getting a kill and an ace from Bludau in the flurry. Another 6-0 run put the 'Dogs on top 24-14, with Murach capping the spurt with a kill. Freshman middle blocker Tyler Smith (Aiken, S.C.) capped the set with a kill.

A kill and a block from Pracher helped Newberry jump out to a 7-4 lead in the second set. A kill and an ace from Murach tied it 7-7, but an Ashley Minor ace put the Wolves ahead 13-10. Back-to-back Henderson kills cut the lead to one, but a Jessica King ace put Newberry on top 17-13. The Wolves added a 4-0 run, taking a 21-14 lead on a Horton kill. A Horton block made it 24-15, while a Wingate error capped the second set.

The Bulldogs used a 5-0 run to take a 12-4 lead in set three. Potter had three aces in the spurt. A Murach kill put Wingate on top 15-6. A 4-0 run helped stretch the lead to 12 at 21-9, with Bludau supplying a kill in the flurry. Kills from Bludau and Brewer made it 24-11, while another Brewer kill finished the frame.

Newberry jumped out to a 5-1 lead in set four on a Soper kill. Two kills and a block from Stumpff helped Wingate tie it at seven, while a pair of Potter kills put the 'Dogs on top 10-8. A Murach kill and Potter ace gave Wingate a 14-10 lead, but a 4-0 run from the Wolves tied the match at 15. Three consecutive Newberry errors gave the Bulldogs an 18-15 advantage, but a 4-0 Newberry run gave the Wolves a 20-19 lead on a Brisson kill. Bludau responded with back-to-back kills to put Wingate back on top, while a Potter kill and Stumpff ace made it 24-20. Henderson capped the match with a kill.

The Bulldogs hit .224 on the match, with 55 kills and 21 errors in 152 attacks. Newberry finished with 33 kills and 20 errors in 136 attacks, hitting .096. Potter had a match-high four of Wingate's seven aces on the day.

The Bulldogs are back in action Friday night, traveling to Lincoln Memorial for a 7 p.m. match.