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Wingate, N.C.----For the eighth time in 12 years, the Wingate University Bulldogs are hosting the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Tournament, which gets underway Thursday in Cuddy Arena. Wingate will play the fourth and final quarterfinal contest on Thursday, hosting Emmanuel at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN3.

ABOUT THE MATCH

Thursday, Dec. 5 | 7:30 p.m. | NCAA Southeast Regional Quarterfinals
#1 Seed Wingate (29-2 Overall) vs. #8 Seed Emmanuel (20-12 Overall)
Wingate, N.C. (Cuddy Arena) | Watch on ESPN3 | Live Stats | Championship Central

THOUGHTS TRESLYN ORTIZ

"Getting to host regionals again is super exciting! We have worked hard all season to get this chance to host again. The love and support we received last year was incredible. I hope to see all of our friends and family out there! #OneDog."  

SERIES HISTORY

- This will be the second meeting between Wingate and Emmanuel
- The teams met in the opening round of the 2018 NCAA Southeast Regionals
- Wingate swept the Lions in Cuddy Arena last year
- The 'Dogs went on to win the regional title  

WHAT'S AT STAKE

- The winner advances to the regional semifinals Friday at 7:30 p.m.
- The region title match is Saturday at 5 p.m.
- Every match of the regional will take place in Cuddy Arena
- The winner of the regional advances to the NCAA National Quarterfinals in Denver, Colo.

THE REST OF THE REGION

- Augusta and USC Aiken meet in the 4 vs. 5 match, with the winner facing the WU-EC winner
- The Jaguars are 27-8 and won the PBC Tournament title
- USC Aiken is 25-5 and won a share of the regular season PBC championship
- The teams split their regular season meetings, while Augusta swept the Pacers in the PBC Tournament
- Queens and Flagler meet in the 2 vs. 7 match Thursday at 2:30 p.m.
- The Royals are 24-6 overall, finishing second in the SAC standings and losing in the SAC title match
- The Saints are 23-8 overall, winning a share of the PBC regular season title and losing in the PBC title match
- The teams did not meet this season; Flagler is 1-0 vs. SAC teams, Queens is 1-2 vs. PBC teams
- Carson-Newman and Anderson meet in the 3 vs. 6 match Thursday at noon
- Carson-Newman is 25-7 overall after winning the SAC Tournament title
- Anderson is 22-7 overall, finishing third in the SAC standings
- The teams met twice in the regular season, with AU winning both contests in five sets
- The Bulldogs are 6-2 against teams in the regional
- If Wingate wins the opener, the 'Dogs would face either Augusta or USC Aiken in the semis
- The 'Dogs swept the Jaguars on opening weekend; WU swept USCA in last year's region title match

WINGATE NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY

- The Bulldogs are making their 16th NCAA Tournament appearance and 15th straight
- Both are SAC records
- Wingate is 22-15 all-time in NCAA Tourney play, most wins for any SAC school
- The 'Dogs have won five region titles (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018)
- Four of those five region championships have been won in Cuddy Arena
- This will be the eighth time WU has hosted regionals (2008-2011, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019)
- Wingate's first region championship came in the third year the Bulldogs hosted in 2010
- The 'Dogs played in every Regional championship match from 2009-2014
- WU has advanced to the region title match eight times in the last 10 years
- The Bulldogs have advanced to the NCAA Division II National Quarterfinals five times in nine years
- The rest of the SAC schools have combined to make one quarterfinal appearance all-time

WINGATE IN CUDDY ARENA

- The Bulldogs have won an NCAA-best 53 straight home matches
- The 'Dogs have not lost a home match since 2016, when they lost to the defending national champs
- WU has won 158 of its last 164 matches in Cuddy Arena
- Wingate is 187-7 at home since the 2007 season
- The Bulldogs are 17-3 in NCAA Southeast Regional matches hosted in Cuddy Arena
- WU has won its last nine NCAA Tourney matches played in Cuddy Arena
- The 'Dogs dropped just one set while winning last year's regional title

ABOUT THE BULLDOGS

- The Bulldogs are the defending region champions
- Wingate is 29-2 overall after going 21-1 in the SAC
- The 'Dogs captured their 13th regular season SAC title in 14 years
- WU also has 11 SAC Tourney championships since 2006
- The 'Dogs have 28 total league titles (15 regular season/13 tournament)
- The Bulldogs are 406-37 overall since the start of the 2007 season
- WU is 237-13 in league play over the last 14 seasons
- Wingate has ranked in the top 10 nationally in win percentage each of the last 14 years
- The 'Dogs have led the nation in winning percentage four times since 2007 including last season

WINGATE OFFENSE

- The Bulldogs lead the SAC and the region in kills per set (13.94 per set) and assists per set (12.93)
- Wingate also leads the SAC and region in hitting percentage (.235) and aces per set (2.32)
- WU is fourth in the nation in aces per set, 19th in assists per set and 21st in kills per set
- The 'Dogs had four players earn All-SAC and All-Region honors
- Sophie Schaff leads the Bulldogs with 3.23 kills per set, hitting .300
- The first team All-Region middle blocker is the only player in the region with over 3 kills and a block per set hitting .300 or better
- Lynnlee Mather led the SAC in hitting percentage during the regular season
- The senior is hitting .372, averaging 2.15 kills per set
- Reigning SAC and Region Player of the Year Rachel Alles is a three-time All-Region honoree
- She leads the team in assists, ranking second in digs and blocks and fourth in kills
- Anne Abernathy averages 2.39 kills per set, hitting .251
- Molly Lambillotte has collected 177 kills on the year, adding 3.27 digs per set
- Reese Blackley adds 1.68 kills per set for the Bulldogs

WINGATE DEFENSE

- The Bulldogs lead the region and rank second nationally in opponents' hitting percentage (.084)
- Wingate is fifth in the nation with 2.60 blocks per set
- Treslyn Ortiz was named the first team All-SAC libero, earning AVCA All-Region honors
- The senior has piled up 1500 digs in her career and has a SAC-best 46 aces
- Four Bulldogs rank in the top 20 in the league in blocks
- All-SAC Freshman team selection Maggie Young is third with 1.20 blocks per set
- Schaff is fifth with 1.19 blocks per set
- Mather (11th) and Alles (18th) average 0.89 and 0.80 blocks per set, respectively
- Schaff is third in the league in total blocks, with Alles ranking 15th
- Alles is second on the team with 3.53 digs per set / Lambillotte is third with 3.27 digs per set
- Shannon Kasprak adds 2.33 digs per set to her 5.36 assists per set and 46 aces

ABOUT EMMANUEL

- The Lions are in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year
- Emmanuel earned the automatic bid by winning the Conference Carolinas Tournament
- EC is 20-12 overall, going 13-3 in league play
- The Lions have won six straight, coming off a 3-2 win over King in the CC championship match
- Emmanuel is led by first team all-conference outside hitter Jessica Gray
- She averages 3.42 kills and 2.65 digs per set, adding 48 blocks
- Setter Stephanie Hardy and libero Aysha Avery join middle blocker Mia McKensey on the second team
- Hardy hands out 10.57 assists per set, adding 1.91 digs per set and 58 blocks
- Avery contributes 4.98 digs per set, adding 93 assists and 45 ace
- McKensey averages 2.23 kills per set, piling up a team-best 1.13 blocks per set
- Middle blocker Taylor Roberts is a third team All-Conference Carolinas honoree
- Roberts contributes 2.35 kills and 0.89 blocks per set, hitting a team-best .316

UP NEXT

- The winner of the WU-EC match faces the winner of the Augusta-USCA match
- The semifinal contest will take place Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Cuddy Arena
- The region title match will be Saturday at 5 p.m. in Cuddy Arena
- Every match of the regional will air on ESPN3
- The winner of the regional advances to Denver, Colo. For the NCAA National Quarterfinals
- The quarterfinals begin Thursday, Dec. 12 and run through Saturday, Dec. 14

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 114 CoSIDA Academic All-America® selections. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 123 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.