Volleyball | 10/29/2015 5:03:00 PM

VIDEO: 2015 Wingate Volleyball Hype Video
VIDEO: Interview with head coach Shelton Collier
VIDEO: Interview with junior Tyler Smith
Photo Gallery - Wingate at Coker (10/27/2015)
Photo Gallery - Wingate vs. LRU & Brevard (10/23-24/2015)

Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs put their 14-match winning streak on the line this weekend, hosting a pair of key South Atlantic Conference matches in Cuddy Arena. The Bulldogs host Carson-Newman Friday at 7 p.m., while facing Lincoln Memorial Saturday at 5 p.m. Wingate enters the weekend 21-2 overall and 15-1 in the SAC.

The Bulldogs are looking to reel off a winning streak of at least 15 matches for the ninth consecutive year. The nine-time defending South Atlantic Conference regular season and tournament champion Bulldogs are 282-20 overall since the start of the 2007 season, winning 156 of their last 160 SAC matches. The 'Dogs are 241-12 in the regular season over the past nine years. During the unprecedented nine-year run, Wingate has compiled the two longest SAC winning streaks in conference history. Wingate won 83 straight league contests from 2007 through 2012. After that historic run came to an end, the Bulldogs responded by winning 55 consecutive conference contests.

Wingate has lost only four of its last 160 league contests, but one of those setbacks came last year against Carson-Newman, a five-set thriller in Cuddy Arena that snapped Wingate's 24-match winning streak against the Eagles. The Bulldogs have won 26 of their last 27 matches against Carson-Newman, including a 3-1 win in Tennessee last month. Carson-Newman won the opening frame, but the 'Dogs responded by winning the last three sets 25-19, 25-22 and 25-13. Senior right-side hitter Shelly Stumpff (Iowa City, Iowa) had 16 kills, 10 digs and nine blocks, while freshman outside hitter Oakley Attaway (Belle Isle, Fla.) added 12 kills, seven digs and three blocks. All-American Abby Saehler (Iowa City, Iowa) contributed 10 kills, seven digs and five blocks, while senior setter Iris Brewer (Cincinnati, Ohio) piled up 36 assists, 16 digs and three kills. Junior middle blocker Tyler Smith (Aiken, S.C.) also registered nine blocks for the Bulldogs, who held Carson-Newman to a .110 hitting percentage, the third-lowest of the year for the Eagles. Freshman Kimberly Hovey (Raleigh, N.C.) piled up 21 digs.

Carson-Newman had its seven-match winning streak snapped Tuesday night, falling 3-0 at Lincoln Memorial. The Eagles enter the weekend in second place in the league standings at 21-4 overall and 14-2 in the conference. Carson-Newman is led by Molly Locke and Sara Fairley, who rank fourth and fifth in the SAC in kills per set, respectively. Maddie Borch averages 2.54 kills per set, leading the league with a .342 hitting percentage. Anna Patton is the conference leader with 10.31 assists per set, while Taylor Lower ranks ninth in the SAC with 4.07 digs per set.

The Bulldogs will face Lincoln Memorial Saturday at 5 p.m. Wingate prevailed 3-1 in the first meeting of the year in Tennessee, again rebounding from an opening-set loss, winning the final three sets 25-18, 25-22 and 25-19. Stumpff led the way with 17 kills, 13 digs, four blocks and three aces, while Attaway added 13 kills and five digs. Saehler contributed 12 kills, seven digs and six blocks, while Brewer collected 47 assists and 11 digs. Hovey had 17 digs for the Bulldogs. Wingate is now 18-0 all-time against LMU.

The Railsplitters enter the weekend riding high after handing Carson-Newman just its second league loss of the year Tuesday, cruising to a 3-0 victory while hitting .358 as a team. Brooke Fleeman leads the LMU attack with 2.65 kills per set, while Liz Brock averages 2.58 kills per set. They rank 15th and 16th in the SAC in kills. Abby Cash is fourth in the conference with 9.55 assists per set, while Erica Whiteaker ranks eighth in digs per set.

The Bulldogs are led by Stumpff and Saehler. A first team All-SAC and All-Region selection last year, Stumpff has a league-best 3.71 kills per set, while also leading the SAC and ranking fifth in the nation with 0.65 aces per set. Stumpff is seventh in the conference with a .285 hitting percentage, while ranking second on the team with 3.03 digs per set. She has registered 12 double-doubles on the year.

Saehler is third in the SAC with 3.52 kills per set and a .326 hitting percentage, while ranking fourth with 0.95 blocks per set. The 2014 AVCA third team All-American has six double-doubles this year. Attaway is third on the team with 2.31 kills per set, registering nine kills or more 10 times during her freshman season. Smith is the league leader with 1.24 blocks per set, while Brewer is third in the SAC with 9.89 assists per set. Hovey is fourth in the conference with 4.75 digs per set.

As a team the Bulldogs lead the SAC in kills per set, hitting percentage, assists per set and opponents' hitting percentage. Wingate ranks third nationally in opponents' hitting percentage, eighth in winning percentage and 13th in digs per set.