Newberry, S.C.----The 23rd-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs dropped their second straight SAC match Saturday afternoon, falling 3-1 at Newberry College in South Atlantic Conference volleyball action. Newberry won by scores of 25-23, 18-25, 25-17 and 25-12 to improve to 11-10 overall and 8-5 in the SAC, while the Bulldogs fall to 19-3 overall and 11-2 in the conference. The loss snaps a 50-match winning streak against Newberry.

Madison Darby-McClure had 14 kills to lead the Newberry attack, while Andie Meredith added 10 kills for the Wolves. Sidra Triplett contributed eight kills, while Logan Hayward had six kills for Newberry. Maggie Marsh handed out 34 assists, while Mary Siebert collected 26 digs.

Sophomore outside hitter Oakley Attaway (Orlando, Fla.) had 12 kills to lead the Wingate attack. Senior right-side hitter Abby Saehler (Iowa City, Iowa) added 10 kills and 11 digs, while junior outside hitter Katie Bludau (Seabrook, Texas) contributed nine kills and 12 digs. Freshman setter Rachel Alles (Tinley Park, Ill.) had 26 assists, 16 digs and seven kills, while sophomore Taylor Williams (Keedysville, Md.) and freshman Lynnlee Mather (McDonough, Ga.) added five kills each. Freshman Treslyn Ortiz (Texas City, Texas) had 16 digs for the Bulldogs.

"This was another tough loss for us where our opponent elevated their level of play and outplayed us in every aspect of the game," head coach Shelton Collier says. "Newberry certainly deserved to win by playing so well, and I know we are disappointed that for the second straight match we did not bring the level of play required to be competitive."

A pair of Mather kills gave Wingate a 6-3 lead in set one, but a 7-0 Newberry run gave the Wolves a 14-9 advantage, capped by a Meredith kill. A Williams kill got the 'Dogs within two, while a block from Saehler and Mather cut the lead to one at 17-16. A Darby-McClure kill stretched the lead back to three, but kills from Attaway and Alles tied it at 20. A kill and an ace from Alles, along with a Williams block gave the Bulldogs a 23-22 lead, but A Meredith kill and Wingate error put Newberry on top 24-23. A block from Meredith ended the first set.

An Attaway kill and Alles ace gave Wingate a 10-9 lead in set two. The Bulldogs added a 5-0 run to take a 16-11 advantage, with Saehler and Bludau each notching a kill in the flurry. A kill and an ace from Bludau pushed the lead to seven, while a kill and a block from Attaway made it 23-15. Saehler added a kill to make it 24-15, while a Newberry error ended the frame.

Newberry raced out to a 7-0 lead in the third set, getting two early kills from Meredith. Kills from Mather and Attaway got the Bulldogs within two at 11-9, while kills from Attaway and Alles got the 'Dogs within a point. The Wolves countered with a 5-0 run, getting two more Meredith kills to go on top 19-12. A Darby-McClure kill and Wingate error made it 24-14, while a Darby-McClure kill ended the frame.

A Triplett kill gave the Wolves a 7-4 advantage in set four, while four straight Wingate errors gave Newberry a 12-6 advantage. Kills from Hayward and Darby-McClure stretched the lead to nine, but kills from Alles and Attaway got the 'Dogs back within seven. Newberry responded with a 5-0 run, taking a 23-11 lead on a Hayward kill. Triplett ended the match with a kill.

Newberry hit .197 on the day, with 48 kills and 18 errors in 152 attacks. Wingate had 50 kills and 23 errors in 157 attacks, hitting .172. Mather and Saehler led the Bulldogs with four blocks each, while Alles had two of Wingate's five aces.

The Bulldogs are back in action Tuesday, traveling to Coker for a 7 p.m. match.