Jefferson City, Tenn.----The Wingate University Bulldogs won the final three sets of Friday night's match, prevailing 3-1 at Carson-Newman University in South Atlantic Conference volleyball action. Wingate won 15-25, 25-19, 25-22 and 25-13 to improve to 10-2 overall and 5-1 in the SAC. The 'Dogs won their 13th straight match at Holt Fieldhouse, as Carson-Newman fell to 8-2 overall and 5-1 in the conference.

Senior right-side hitter Shelly Stumpff (Iowa City, Iowa) had 16 kills, 10 digs and nine blocks to lead the Wingate attack, adding a pair of aces. Freshman outside hitter Oakley Attaway (Belle Isle, Fla.) added 12 kills and seven digs, while All-American middle blocker Abby Saehler (Iowa City, Iowa) had 10 kills, seven digs and five blocks for the Bulldogs. Senior setter Iris Brewer (Cincinnati, Ohio) had 36 assists and 16 digs, while freshman libero Kimberly Hovey (Raleigh, N.C.) collected 21 digs.

"This was a good win for us," head coach Shelton Collier says. "We were well-prepared and confident. Our players indicated they watched a video of their coach questioning our team this week, so it seems we had some answers tonight. We had our entire team step up to the challenge in this one, which was great to see."

Natalie Harris had 13 kills to lead the Carson-Newman attack. Molly Locke added nine kills and seven digs for the Eagles, while Sara Fairley also had nine kills for the Eagles. Maddie Borch added eight kills, while Anna Patton had 35 assists and 15 digs. Taylor Lowe contributed 17 digs for Carson-Newman.

A Borch kill gave Carson-Newman a 12-8 lead in the opening set. A kill from Katie Bludau (Seabrook, Texas) cut the lead to two, but a kill and a block from Locke made it 18-12. A Patton ace and Locke kill gave the Eagles a 23-12 lead, while a kill from Fairley ended the set.

Kills from Attaway and Stumpff gave Wingate a 12-7 lead in set two. Kills from Locke and Fairley cut the lead to two, but a block from Stumpff and Saehler made it 15-11. Kills from Saehler and Attaway put Wingate on top 18-13, but kills from Fairley and Harris got Carson-Newman within one at 18-17. The Bulldogs had the answer, getting kills from Attaway and Stumpff, followed by an Attaway block to make it 21-17. Kills from Attaway and Tyler Smith (Aiken, S.C.) made it 24-19, while a block from Attaway and Smith capped the set.

Carson-Newman took a 15-13 lead in set three on a kill from Patton. A Stumpff kill and CN error tied it at 15, but a Locke kill and two Wingate errors gave the Eagles a 19-16 advantage. Attaway answered with a kill to make it 19-17, but a Wingate error made it 20-17. The 'Dogs had the emphatic response, scoring the next four points to take the lead. Attaway started the flurry with a kill, while Smith and Stumpff combined for three straight blocks to give the Bulldogs the lead. Carson-Newman tied the set at 21 on a Wingate error, but a Carson-Newman error, followed by a block from Stumpff and Saehler gave Wingate a 23-21 lead. An Allie Foster kill made it 23-22, but another Carson-Newman error gave the 'Dogs a 24-22 advantage. A kill from Bludau ended the set.

The Bulldogs jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the fourth set, getting two kills and two aces from Stumpff in the spurt. A Locke kill got Carson-Newman within three at 11-8, but Wingate responded with seven straight points. Smith and Attaway had kills in the flurry, while Saehler and Attaway each added a block in the spurt. Kills from Stumpff and Bludau, followed by a block from Bludau and Smith put the 'Dogs on top 22-11. Back-to-back Saehler kills made it 24-12, while a Stumpff kill ended the match.

Wingate hit .219 on the night, with 50 kills and 20 errors in 137 attacks. The Eagles had 45 kills and 28 errors in 155 attacks, hitting .110. Stumpff had two of Wingate's three aces on the night, while Stumpff and Smith led the 'Dogs with nine blocks each.

The Bulldogs are back in action Saturday, traveling to Lincoln Memorial for a 2 p.m. match.