Wingate, N.C.----For the third consecutive season the Wingate University Bulldogs have started a season 15-0 after rolling to a 3-0 victory at Tusculum University in South Atlantic Conference volleyball action Friday night. Wingate won by scores of 25-13, 25-23 and 25-13 to improve to 15-0 overall and 8-0 in the SAC. The Pioneers fall to 2-12 overall and 0-8 in league play.

THOUGHTS FROM COACH COLLIER

"We were pleased we could win 3-0 tonight, especially with an important match at Lincoln Memorial tomorrow. Many of our players had exams at Wingate this morning, so to travel and get a win away from home was significant. After winning the first set convincingly, we had a letdown in set two, but managed to fight back and find a way to win it. Rachel Alles was really good distributing the ball for us and we shared the offense with a number of hitters."

KEY STATS

- Wingate hit .278 for the match, with 44 kills and 12 errors
- Tusculum hit .052 with 29 kills and 23 errors
- The Bulldogs had four blocks and three aces
- Tusculum hit negative in the first set and just .028 in set three
- The 'Dogs hit a match-high .343 in the final frame

KEY BULLDOGS

- Sophie Schaff led the 'Dogs with nine kills, hitting .389
- Phoebe Havenaar registered eight kills, five digs and two blocks
- Hannah Givens hit .368 with eight kills; Reese Blackley added six kills
- Molly Lambillotte hit .333 with four kills and 11 digs
- Rachel Alles piled up 33 assists, 14 digs, five kills and three blocks
- Kori Adams picked up 10 digs

NOTES

- Wingate is one of two undefeated NCAA Division II volleyball teams
- WU moves to 44-6 all-time against the Pioneers and 18-3 at Tusculum
- The Bulldogs have won 15 straight over TU and 28 of their last 29
- The 'Dogs lead the nation in opponents' hitting percentage (.067)
- Wingate has held 10 opponents to a hitting percentage of under .100 this year
- 10th sweep of the season for the Bulldogs
- Wingate's .278 hitting percentage is highest road hitting percentage this year
- Wingate moves to 360-32 overall since the start of the 2007 season
- WU has won 311 of its last 331 regular season matches
- The Bulldogs are 205-11 in league play over the last 12 seasons

SET ONE

- Wingate hit .282 with 16 kills and five errors; Tusculum had seven kills and nine errors (-.051)
- Givens led all players with five kills; Havenaar added four kills, three kills for Schaff
- Alles had 13 assists and seven digs
- A 6-0 run put WU on top 11-6, with Givens and Alles each notching a kill and a block
- Two Schaff kills and a Givens kill made it 14-7
- Kills from Havenaar and Taylor Williams pushed the advantage to eight at 18-10
- Givens had two kills in a 5-0 run to make it 23-11; Schaff kill made it 24-12
- A Tusculum attack error ended the frame

SET TWO

- Wingate had 13 kills and four errors to hit .220
- The Pioneers had their best frame with 15 kills and eight errors, hitting .175
- Givens and Schaff had three kills each; Alles handed out 11 assists
- Gabby Gray of Tusculum led all players with six kills in the frame
- Two Schaff kills and two Alles aces gave WU an early 7-2 advantage
- Tusculum used a 6-0 run to take a 15-10 lead, getting two Gray kills
- A Givens kill and Lambillotte ace got the 'Dogs back within two at 16-14
- The 'Dogs used a 6-0 run to take a 20-17 lead, getting kills from Alles, Schaff and Blackley
- Lambillotte made it 23-21 with a kill, but kills from Gray and Cassie Born tied it at 23
- Havenaar's kill gave the Bulldogs a 24-23 lead; Givens ended the set with a kill

SET THREE

- The Bulldogs hit a match-high .343 with 15 kills and just three errors
- Tusculum hit .028 with seven kills and six errors
- Schaff had three kills in five swings to hit .600
- Alles had nine assists, five digs and three kills
- Four different Bulldogs added two kills apiece
- Kills from Lambillotte, Adams and Blackley gave WU an early 10-4 lead
- Born's kill cut the lead to three, but the 'Dogs countered with a 7-0 run
- Alles had a kill and two blocks in the spurt; Havenaar added two blocks
- An Alles kill, followed by back-to-back Schaff kills made it 24-12
- A Tusculum error ended the match

UP NEXT

- The Bulldogs wrap up their Tennessee trip at LMU Saturday at 2 p.m.
- Wingate returns home Tuesday, hosting Queens at 7 p.m.