VIDEO: Postgame interview with coach Collier
VIDEO: Postgame interview with Shelly Stumpff

Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs had nine different players register multiple kills Tuesday night, picking up a 3-0 victory over visiting Lees-McRae College in NCAA Division II volleyball action in Cuddy Arena. Wingate won by scores of 25-19, 25-13 and 25-19 to improve to 12-2 overall, while the Bobcats fall to 2-11 on the year.

Senior right-side hitter Shelly Stumpff (Iowa City, Iowa) had eight kills and four digs in two sets of action, hitting .500 to lead the Wingate attack. Freshman outside hitter Hannah Givens (Greensburg, Ky.) added six kills, while junior middle blocker Abby Saehler (Iowa City, Iowa) had five kills, four digs and two blocks, hitting .333. Senior setter Iris Brewer (Cincinnati, Ohio) handed out 17 assists, while sophomore Kori Adams (Ayden, N.C.) had 10 assists and six digs. Freshman libero Kimberly Hovey (Raleigh, N.C.) piled up 17 digs for the Bulldogs.

"It was great for us to get back in our gym again for a home match," head coach Shelton Collier says. "We have three really tough home matches coming up this weekend, so we enjoyed preparing for those as we won tonight."

Avalon Liscio had 13 kills and 11 digs to lead the Lees-McRae attack. Jariliz Cotte added six kills and seven digs, while Siarra Walker, Jordan Banta and Rachel Cutshaw contributed four kills each. Allyson Schillinger handed out 19 assists, while Madison Martin picked up 14 digs.

A Banta kill and two Wingate errors gave the Bobcats a 10-8 lead in the opening set. Kills from Walker and Liscio pushed the advantage to four at 13-9.  A block from Brewer and Phoebe Havenaar (Naperville, Ill.) and a Saehler ace got the Bulldogs within one at 13-12, but another Liscio pushed the LMC advantage back to three at 15-12. Wingate answered with a 4-0 run, taking a 16-15 lead on a Brewer ace. A Liscio kill helped the Bobcats regain the lead at 18-17, but the 'Dogs scored the next seven points. Givens had three kills in the flurry, while a Saehler kill made it 24-18. Givens capped the frame with a kill.

Back-to-back Saehler kills, along with a kill from Katie Bludau (Seabrook, Texas) gave the Bulldogs an 8-3 lead in set two. A Rachael Cecka (Plymouth, Wis.) kill and Adams ace made it 15-7, while a Saehler kill put Wingate on top 18-10. A Bludau kill, followed by a block from Cecka and Tyler Smith (Aiken, S.C.) made it 22-12. Kills from Smith and Taylor Williams (Keedysville, Md.) gave the 'Dogs a 24-13 advantage, while a Bludau ace ended the frame.

Back-to-back aces from Rachel Truslow (Matthews, N.C.) helped the Bulldogs take a 7-5 lead in the third set. Back-to-back kills from Cotte gave the Bobcats a 9-8 advantage, but two kills from Givens tied it 10-10. Kills from Cutshaw and Liscio helped LMC take a 13-10 lead, but two kills and an ace from Stumpff tied it at 14. Wingate followed with a 7-0 run to take a 21-15 advantage. Anna Holmquist (Lincoln, Neb.) contributed three blocks in the flurry. Kills from Holmquist and Havenaar, along with a Stumpff kill made it 24-19. A Lees-McRae error ended the match.

Wingate hit .264 for the match, with 37 kills and nine errors in 106 attacks. Lees-McRae had 31 kills and 22 errors in 114 attacks, hitting .079. Truslow had two of Wingate's eight aces to lead the Bulldogs, while Smith and Holmquist led the Bulldogs with three blocks each.

The Bulldogs are back in action Thursday, hosting Catawba at 7 p.m. Wingate hosts a tri-match Saturday in Cuddy Arena, taking on Queens at 12 p.m. and seventh-ranked Wheeling Jesuit at 5 p.m.