BRACKET

Indianapolis, Ind.----For the second straight season and eighth time in 12 years, the Wingate University Bulldogs are the number one seed in the NCAA Southeast Regional Volleyball Tournament, earning hosting duties for the eighth time since 2008. Winners of 13 of the last 14 regular season SAC titles, Wingate enters NCAA Tournament play 29-2 overall after going 21-1 in league play. The Bulldogs will host eighth-seeded Emmanuel Thursday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the regional quarterfinals.

"We are excited about the fact that we earned the right to host this year with this team," head coach Shelton Collier says. "Being able to play the NCAA Regional at home is awesome for our players and our fans. Another significant factor is that our final exams happen to fall on the same dates as the tournament, so it will be very good for our players to be here at Wingate as opposed to be on the road for those important academic commitments. We are looking forward to playing in what will certainly be a highly-competitive tournament."

Wingate is the number one seed, followed by Queens and Carson-Newman. Peach Belt Tournament champion Augusta earns the four seed, with USC Aiken, Anderson, Flagler and Conference Carolinas champion Emmanuel rounding out the field. The tournament opens up Thursday, Dec. 5 at noon with Carson-Newman taking on Anderson, followed by the Queens vs. Flagler match at 2:30 p.m. Augusta and USC Aiken face off at 5 p.m., while the Wingate-Emmanuel match wraps up the quarterfinal round.

Wingate is making its league-best 16th appearance in the NCAA Tournament. This marks the 15th consecutive year the Bulldogs have earned a bid, another SAC record. Wingate is 22-15 in the NCAA Tournament, winning region titles in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2018. The 'Dogs have made five trips to the NCAA National Quarterfinals, with the rest of the conference earning a combined one trip. Wingate won four of the five titles as the regional hosts. The Bulldogs hosted every regional from 2008-2011, then hosted again in 2013 and 2014, with the regional returning to Cuddy Arena in 2018. The 'Dogs won three straight region titles starting in 2012. Wingate has played in the region title match eight of the last 10 seasons.

The Bulldogs have gotten it done on offense and defense this season, leading the region in kills per set, assists per set, hitting percentage and aces per set, while also leading the nation in opponents' hitting percentage and ranking third nationally in blocks per set.

The Bulldogs made up half of the All-SAC first team in 2019, with seniors Rachel Alles, Treslyn Ortiz and Lynnlee Mather joining junior Sophie Schaff. Alles was the 2018 SAC and Region Player of the Year and now serves as a setter and a hitter, leading the team in assists while ranking second in digs and blocks and fourth in kills. Schaff is the only player in the region hitting over .300 with over three kills and one block per set, while Mather leads the region in hitting percentage. Ortiz ranks in Wingate's top five all-time in career digs, while anchoring the nation's top-ranked defense and leading the SAC in aces.

The Bulldogs have enjoyed incredible success for over a decade, going 406-36 overall since the start of the 2007 season. Wingate is 237-13 in league play during that span, winning 24 total league championships to go along with five region titles. The 'Dogs have ranked in the top 10 nationally in winning percentage each of the last 12 seasons, leading the nation four times including last year. Wingate has 53 straight wins in Cuddy Arena, the longest current winning streak in college volleyball.

For more information about the 2019 NCAA Southeast Regionals, go to wingatebulldogs.com and follow @WU_Bulldogs on Twiter. A Championship Central page will be available Tuesday.

NCAA Southeast Regional Volleyball Tournament
Wingate, N.C. (Cuddy Arena)

Thursday, Dec. 5
12 p.m. - #3 Carson-Newman vs. #6 Anderson
2:30 p.m. - #2 Queens vs. # 7 Flagler  
5 p.m. - #4 Augusta vs. #5 USC Aiken
7:30 p.m. - #1 Wingate vs. #8 Emmanuel

Friday, Dec. 6
5 p.m. - CN-AU winner vs. QU-FC winner
7:30 p.m. - AU-USCA winner vs. WU-EC winner

Saturday, Dec. 7
5 p.m. - Region Championship Match

WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
A comprehensive, independent and growing university, Wingate serves more than 3,600 students in North Carolina. Founded in 1896, the University offers 37 undergraduate majors as well as graduate and professional programs. Wingate is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences. Wingate blends in-class exploration with out-of-class application to deliver an uncommon and life-changing educational experience.
 
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past 13 years. Wingate is first in the 2000s among NCAA Division II and North Carolina's colleges and universities with 113 CoSIDA Academic All-America® selections. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 122 lifetime Academic All-America® honorees. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com. Current news and videos can be found at www.wingate.edu.