Pittsburgh, Pa.----For the fifth time since 2010, the Wingate University Bulldogs are in the NCAA Division II volleyball national quarterfinals. Wingate is the number four seed in the national finals, facing fifth-seeded and eighth-ranked Washburn Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the A.J. Palumbo Center in Pittsburgh, Pa. The Bulldogs enter the national quarterfinals at 32-1 overall, while the Ichabods are 32-4 on the season.

PREVIEW INTERVIEWS
Head Coach Shelton Collier
Senior Libero Kori Adams

ABOUT THE MATCH

Thursday, Nov. 29 | 7:30 p.m. | NCAA National Quarterfinals
#24 Wingate (32-1; 19-1 SAC) vs. #8 Washburn (32-4; 15-3 MIAA)
Pittsburgh, Pa. (A.J. Palumbo Center)
Winner advances to national semifinals Friday against Tampa / American International winner
Watch | Live Stats | Twitter | Bracket

WINGATE NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY

- 15th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history (Most in SAC history)
- SAC-record 14th straight NCAA Tournament appearance
- SAC-record fifth appearance in national quarterfinals
- Wingate won its fifth region title in 2018
- The Bulldogs won the first region title in SAC volleyball history in 2010
- Wingate hosted the NCAA Regionals for the seventh time in 11 years in 2018
- The Bulldogs are 22-14 all-time in the NCAA Tournament; all wins since 2008
- The 'Dogs appeared in three straight national quarterfinal matches from 2012-2014
- First appearance in the national quarterfinals since 2014
- WU is looking for its first-ever appearance in the national semifinals

WINGATE vs. WASHBURN SERIES HISTORY

- The teams have met one other time, playing in the 2002 season opener in Spartanburg, S.C.
- Washburn prevailed 3-0 over the Bulldogs in the 2002 matchup

COACHES

- Shelton Collier is in his 17th year at Wingate (487-80 record)
- Collier is in his 36th year as a head coach (1,053-288)
- Was named SAC Coach of the Year for a league-record 10th time in 2018
- Earned AVCA Southeast Region Coach of the Year for the seventh time in 2018
- 2013 AVCA National Coach of the Year
- One of nine coaches in NCAA volleyball history with over 1,000 career victories
- Chris Herron is in his 17th season as the Washburn head coach (501-101 record)
- Five-time MIAA Coach of the Year; has led Washburn to five MIAA Tourneys and 14 NCAA Tourney appearances
- 2018 Central Region Coach of the Year

ABOUT THE BULLDOGS

- Wingate rolled through the SAC, going 19-1 in league play to win its 12th regular season title in 13 years
- The 'Dogs lost just one set in the SAC Tournament, winning an 11th tourney title in 13 years
- WU has won 23 league titles since 2006 and 27 all-time; the other 10 current SAC schools have a combined 15 titles
- Wingate dropped just one set en route to a fifth NCAA Southeast Region championship
- The Bulldogs hosted for the seventh time, winning the region title in Cuddy Arena for the fourth time
- The Bulldogs are in the AVCA top 25 for the 10th straight year; only SAC team ever to be ranked
- Wingate has appeared in 64 AVCA top 25 polls since 2009; highest ranking was seventh in 2014
- At 32-1, the Bulldogs lead the nation in winning percentage; only team with less than three losses
- This will be the fourth time since 2007 the Bulldogs will lead the nation in winning percentage
- This is the seventh time since '07 the 'Dogs will finish in the top three nationally in winning percentage
- WU has been in the top 15 in win percentage 12 straight years; top 10 in 10 of 12 years
- This is the ninth time since 2007 the 'Dogs have won at least 30 matches in a season
- Sixth time in 12 years Wingate has entered the NCAA Tournament with one or zero losses
- Wingate is 377-34 overall since 2007, going 216-12 in league play over that time

WINGATE AWARD WINNERS

- Rachel Alles (SAC & Region Player of the Year; AVCA 2nd Team All-American)
- Phoebe Havenaar (AVCA 3rd Team All-American; All-SAC & All-Region; SAC Tourney MVP)
- Hannah Givens (All-SAC & AVCA/D2CCA All-Region)
- Kori Adams (All-SAC & AVCA Honorable Mention All-Region)
- Anna Holmquist (All-SAC; Academic All-District)
- All-Southeast Region Tourney Team – Alles, Givens, Havenaar, Holmquist, Sophie Schaff
- Shelton Collier (SAC Coach of the Year; AVCA Southeast Region Coach of the Year)

WINGATE NATIONAL STATS

- WU ranks fourth nationally in kills per set and assists per set
- Wingate is fifth in the nation in opponents' hitting percentage
- The Bulldogs rank 15th in digs per set and 21st in hitting percentage
- Alles is 15th in the nation in assists per set
- Adams ranks 25th in digs per set

WINGATE RECORD BOOKS

- Adams became the all-time leader in career digs in the SAC title match
- The only Bulldogs with over 2,000 digs, Adams has 2,050 in her illustrious career
- Adams also broke her own school record for digs per set in a season in 2018 (5.82)
- Adams broke Wingate's single-season record with 664 digs this year
- Holmquist is the school's all-time leader in career hitting percentage (.352)
- Holmquist broke the school record in 2017, ranking fifth in the nation with a .406 hitting percentage
- Alles moves into fifth in career assists in Wingate history (3,422)

ABOUT WASHBURN

- Washburn is making its 14th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history
- The Ichabods won the highly-competitive Central Region
- Washburn defeated #5 Northern State, #4 Minnesota-Duluth and #9 Concordia-St. Paul in the regionals
- The Ichabods finished second in the MIAA in 2018, one match behind third-ranked Nebraska-Kearney
- Washburn is 14-13 all-time in the NCAA Tournament
- The Ichabods advanced to the national semifinals in 2007
- Washburn is 14th in the nation in opponents' hitting percentage and 21st in digs per set
- The Ichabods rank 23rd in kills per set and 26th in assists per set
- Allison Maxwell earned All-Region honors, with Shayla Conner earning honorable mention All-Region accolades

UP NEXT

- The winner advances to the national semifinals Friday night in Pittsburgh
- The winner faces the winner of the Tampa vs. American International match
- The semifinal match is slated for Friday at 6:30 p.m.
- The national title match is Saturday at 3 p.m. in Pittsburgh