Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs picked up their seventh consecutive victory Saturday afternoon, prevailing 3-1 against visiting Queens University in South Atlantic Conference volleyball action in Cuddy Arena. Wingate improves to 14-2 overall and 8-1 in the SAC. The Royals fall to 4-9 overall and 3-6 in the conference.

All-American middle blocker Abby Saehler (Iowa City, Iowa) hit .647 with 12 kills, eight digs and four blocks in three sets of action to lead the Wingate attack. Senior right-side hitter Shelly Stumpff (Iowa City, Iowa) had 10 kills, 10 digs and two aces in three sets, while freshman outside hitter Oakley Attaway (Bell Isle, Fla.) added nine kills and five digs, while sophomore Katie Bludau (Seabrook, Texas) contributed seven kills in three sets for the Bulldogs. Senior setter Iris Brewer (Cincinnati, Ohio) collected 27 assists and 11 digs, while freshman Kimberly Hovey (Raleigh, N.C.) piled up 26 digs.

"Today we were able to make some progress with our team in several key areas," head coach Shelton Collier says. "We are off for a tough four-match road trip after this weekend, so it was important for us to win today at home."

Meredith Jones had 13 kills and eight digs to lead the Queens attack, while Jessica Raines added seven kills and four digs. Sydney Kunz had 16 assists and 12 digs, while Rebecca Cochran and Taylor Henry each had three kills and 12 digs for the Royals.

A kill from Jones gave Queens a 10-7 lead in set one. Wingate responded with a 7-0 run to take a 16-12 advantage. Adams had three aces in the flurry, while Bludau added two kills. A block and an ace from Jones got Queens within one at 17-16, but a 5-0 Wingate run made it 22-16. Bludau, Saehler and Brewer each contributed a kill in the spurt. Kills from Attaway and Smith made it 24-19, while a Queens error ended the set.

Wingate used an 8-0 to take a 14-3 lead in set two. Saehler had three kills and a block in the spurt, while Stumpff added two aces. Back-to-back Annika Jones aces got the Royals within seven at 14-7, but kills from Attaway and Stumpff, followed by a Smith block put the 'Dogs on top 20-10. Two Bludau kills, along with a Saehler kill and Adams ace gave Wingate a 24-12 lead, while a Queens error ended the set.

Back-to-back Jones kills gave Queens a 12-3 lead in set three. A block and a kill from freshman Phoebe Havenaar (Naperville, Ill.) got Wingate within four at 13-9, while a kill from Taylor Williams (Keedysville, Md.) made it 14-11. A Cochran kill and Wingate error pushed the Queens lead to five, but three consecutive errors from the Royals got the Bulldogs within two at 19-17. A kill from Raines and ace from Jones pushed the lead to four at 22-18, but a pair of kills from Hannah Givens (Greensburg, Ky.) made it 23-21. A Wingate error made it 24-21, while a Cochran kill ended the set.

A kill and a block from Jones gave the Royals a 6-4 lead in set four. Two Attaway kills helped the Bulldogs take an 8-7 lead, but Queens tied it at 11 on a Jones kill. Wingate responded by scoring the next 14 points to end the match. Stumpff and Saehler started the flurry with two kills and a block each, while two more Stumpff kills made it 22-11. Adams followed with an ace, while a Saehler kill made it 24-11. Wingate capped the match with a block from Saehler and Stumpff.

The Bulldogs hit .271 for the match, with 53 kills and 15 errors in 140 attacks. Queens had 29 kills and 23 errors in 147 attacks, hitting .041. Adams had five of Wingate's eight aces, while Saehler led the 'Dogs with four blocks.

Wingate is back in action Friday, opening a four-match road trip at Newberry at 7 p.m.