Milledgeville, Ga.----The 16th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs opened the 2015 season with a pair of victories on day one of the 2015 Bobcat Classic, hosted by Georgia College. Wingate opened the day with a 3-0 victory over Columbus State, prevailing 25-15, 25-15 and 25-18. The 'Dogs followed with a 3-1 victory over Limestone, winning by scores of 26-24, 25-6, 20-25 and 25-17.  

"This was a really productive and beneficial opening day for us," head coach Shelton Collier says. "We played two matches back-to-back and had 15 players make strong contributions in meaningful moments. I was very pleased with some of the progress of many of our players. We are looking forward to two more challenging matches Saturday."

Match One: Wingate 3, Columbus State 0

Senior right-side hitter Shelly Stumpff (Iowa City, Iowa) led the Bulldogs with nine kills, hitting .500 while adding three digs, two blocks and two aces. Junior All-American Abby Saehler (Iowa City, Iowa) added six kills with a .600 hitting percentage to go along with six digs. Freshman Oakley Attaway (Belle Isle, Fla.) hit .333 with six kills in her collegiate debut, while classmate Taylor Williams (Keedysville, Md.) had four kills in two sets of action. Senior Iris Brewer (Cincinnati, Ohio) and freshman Megan Schildmeyer (Saint Charles, Ill.) handed out 13 assists each, while freshman Kimberly Hovey (Raleigh, N.C.) collected 11 digs.

Wingate used a 6-0 run to take a 12-7 lead in the opening set. Stumpff had two kills and an ace in the flurry, while Brewer added an ace. A Saehler kill and CSU error made it 17-12. The 'Dogs pushed the lead to seven on back-to-back Attaway kills. A block from freshman Anna Holmquist (Lincoln, Nebr.) made it 24-15, while a Columbus State error capped the opening frame.

A block from Stumpff and Tyler Smith (Aiken, S.C.) put the Bulldogs on top 13-10 in set two. Wingate added a 4-0 run to push the lead to six, getting a kill and a block from Williams. A Payton Joy kill got Columbus within three at 18-15, but Wingate scored the final seven points of the frame. Smith had a kill and a block early in the flurry, while capping the set with back-to-back kills.

A Saehler kill gave the Bulldogs an early 8-4 lead in set three. An Abby King kill tied it at 10, while a Wingate error gave the Cougars a 12-11 lead. Kills from Stumpff and Phoebe Havenaar (Naperville, Ill.) put the 'Dogs on top 15-13, while a Stumpff kill and Saehler ace made it 20-15. CSU got within three at 21-18, but a Havenaar block and Hannah Givens (Greensburg, Ky.) ace made it 24-18. Givens followed with another ace to finish the match.

Wingate hit .277 for the match, with 37 kills and 11 errors in 94 attacks. The 'Dogs piled up nine aces, with Stumpff, Saehler and Givens contributing two apiece. CSU hit .010 for the match, with 23 kills and 22 errors in 103 attacks.

Match Two: Wingate 3, Limestone 1

Stumpff hit .500 with 14 kills in three sets of action to lead the Wingate attack, adding four aces. Saehler piled up eight kills and eight blocks, while Attaway had seven kills, five digs and four aces. Smith and redshirt sophomore Rachael Cecka (Plymouth, Wisc.) contributed six kills each for the Bulldogs, while Brewer compiled 39 assists and 11 digs. Sophomore libero Kori Adams (Ayden, N.C.) piled up 19 digs.

Back-to-back Stumpff kills helped Wingate take a 13-11 lead in set one. Back-to-back Rycki Ebert kills put Limestone on top 15-13. The 'Dogs scored the next three points, taking a one-point lead on back-to-back Saehler blocks. Kills from Saehler and Attaway made it 20-18, while a Stumpff kill and Saehler block made it 24-21. The Saints battled back, tying it at 24 on two straight Wingate errors. The 'Dogs took a 25-24 lead on a Stumpff kill, then won the frame on a Limestone error.

The Bulldogs jumped out to a 4-0 lead in set two and never looked back, getting two quick Attaway aces. A 7-0 run made it 17-5, with Stumpff providing a kill and a block in the flurry. Wingate closed the frame on an 8-0 run. Smith started it with a kill, while Stumpff followed with two kills. Attaway followed with an ace to make it 24-6, while a Limestone error capped the frame.

A Wingate error and Karli Acree kill gave the Saints a 16-14 lead in set three. A Givens ace tied it at 16, but an Ebert kill and Acree block made it 18-16. Smith cut the deficit to one with a kill, but a kill and an ace from Acree gave Limestone a 22-18 lead. A Cecka kill cut the lead to three at 23-20, but a Wingate error and Darla Svoboda ace finished the set.

The Bulldogs used an 8-0 run to take a 10-5 lead in set four. Stumpff had a kill and three aces in the flurry, while Saehler added two kills and a block. A Jessica Onken ace cut the lead to two at 13-11, but an Attaway kill and two Limestone errors pushed the advantage back to five. A pair of Stumpff kills, along with a Givens kill gave the 'Dogs a 22-14 lead. A Saehler kill made it 24-17, while Saehler and Attaway teamed for a block to end the match.

Wingate hit .220 for the match, with 46 kills and 18 errors in 127 attacks. Stumpff and Attaway had four aces each to lead the Bulldogs, while Saehler's eight blocks were a match high. Givens chipped in with four blocks. Limestone hit .055 with 39 kills and 32 errors in 128 attacks.

Wingate is back in action Saturday, playing two more matches in Georgia. The Bulldogs face Shorter at 12 p.m., then take on host Georgia College at 6 p.m.