Hickory, N.C.----The Lenoir-Rhyne University Bears downed visiting Wingate University 3-0 Saturday afternoon in South Atlantic Conference volleyball action. Lenoir-Rhyne won by scores of 25-19, 25-20 and 25-23 to improve to 9-17 overall and 7-12 in the SAC. Wingate falls to 24-5 on the year and 16-4 in league play.

Emily Steele had 10 kills and six blocks to lead the LRU attack, while Brandi Thomas added nine kills. Hannah Houston and Brooke Redmond contributed seven kills apiece for the Bears, while Emma Pope handed out 20 assists. Jillian Born collected 14 digs on the afternoon.

Sophomore outside hitter Oakley Attaway (Orlando, Fla.) had 11 kills, six digs and three blocks to lead the Wingate attack, hitting .303. Senior right-side hitter Abby Saehler (Iowa City, Iowa) added eight kills, eight digs and three blocks, while junior outside hitter Katie Bludau (Seabrook, Texas) contributed seven kills. Freshman setter Rachel Alles (Tinley Park, Ill.) had 22 assists and 12 digs, while classmate Treslyn Ortiz (Texas City, Texas) picked up 15 digs.

"Lenoir-Rhyne deserves credit for playing well and we once again learned that an average effort in an away match is not a recipe for success," head coach Shelton Collier says. "There was a lot at stake for both teams and it is a very disappointing loss for us at this point in the season."

An Attaway kill gave the Bulldogs an early 8-4 lead in set one, but an ace from Born and three Wingate errors put the Bears on top 11-8. A Saehler kill got the Bulldogs within a point, but two more Wingate errors gave Lenoir-Rhyne a 17-14 advantage. Kills from Houston and Katrina Samuels made it 21-16, but a Saehler kill and Bludau block made it 21-18. Kills from Houston and Steele stretched the lead to four at 23-19, while kills from Houston and Redmond ended the first set.

A kill from Anna Holmquist (Lincoln, Nebr.) gave Wingate a 10-8 lead in set two. Lenoir-Rhyne countered with a 5-1 run, taking a 13-11 lead on a Redmond kill. Kills from Bludau and Lynnlee Mather (McDonough, Ga.) tied it at 14, but a kill and a block from Jaclyn Denny gave the Bears an 18-15 advantage. Kills from Alles and Bludau got Wingate within one, but a pair of Thomas kills gave LRU a 22-18 lead. Steele ended the frame with a kill.

Wingate used a 6-0 run to take an 8-3 lead in set three, getting a kill and two blocks from Saehler. A Thomas kill got the Bears within three, while an 11-0 run gave Lenoir-Rhyne an 18-11 advantage. Thomas had a pair of kills in the flurry. An Attaway kill got the 'Dogs within five, but a Samuels kill made it 22-16. Kills from Thomas and Steele gave LRU a 24-20 lead, but kills from Holmquist and Attaway, along with a Kimberly Hovey (Raleigh, N.C.) ace made it 24-23. Steele ended the match with a kill.

Lenoir-Rhyne hit .216 on the afternoon, with 40 kills and 16 errors in 111 attacks. Wingate had 38 kills and 20 errors in 124 attacks, hitting .145. Attaway, Saehler and Holmquist led the Bulldogs with three blocks each, while Saehler and Hovey had the two Wingate aces on the day.

The Bulldogs are back in action Friday, hosting Mars Hill on Senior Night at 7 p.m. Wingate wraps up regular season play Saturday at 2 p.m. against Tusculum.