Wingate, N.C.----The top-seeded Wingate University Bulldogs dropped a five-set heartbreaker against fourth-seeded Augusta University in the semifinals of the 2019 NCAA Southeast Regional tournament in front of a raucous crows inside Cuddy Arena. The Jaguars won by scores of 24-26, 25-13, 13-25, 25-12 and 15-13 to improve to 29-8 overall, advancing to the regional championship match. The Bulldogs end their season at 30-3.

THOUGHTS FROM SHELTON COLLIER

"To be honest, I am as proud of this team as I was for any of our region championship team we have had here. After losing five key starters from last year's team that was so dominant, we had to develop a new team this year, with new roles and new leadership. To win the conference championship, to earn the number one seed in the regional and to again be a relevant team in the national rankings was awesome for this group. Augusta played well and earned the win tonight and my primary thought is that we had a very successful and enjoyable ride with our new team, and an awesome match atmosphere here for the semifinal."

KEY STATS

- Augusta hit .145 with 53 kills and 29 errors
- Wingate had 42 kills and 27 errors to hit .098
- The Jaguars had 11 blocks on the night while the 'Dogs had eight blocks
- The Bulldogs registered 74 digs while Augusta had 72
- Augusta piled up 10 aces on the night while the Bulldogs had seven

NOTES

- Wingate is hosting the regionals for the eighth time in 12 years
- The loss snaps a 54-match home court winning streak
- The Bulldogs had won 10 straight NCAA Tourney matches in Cuddy Arena
- WU was making its 15th straight NCAA Tournament appearance
- The 'Dogs move to 23-16 all-time in the NCAA Tournament
- Wingate is 18-4 in NCAA Tourney matches in Cuddy Arena
- WU has won 159 of its last 166 matches in Cuddy Arena
- Wingate is 188-8 at home since the 2007 season
- WU had played in the regional title match eight times in the last 10 years

KEY BULLDOGS

- Sophie Schaff had 11 kills and two blocks
- Reese Blackley added 10 kills
- Rachel Alles contributed six kills, 23 assists, 18 digs and three blocks
- Maggie Young hit .556 with five kills in nine swings
- Lynnlee Mather had four kills and five blocks
- Shannon Kasprak had nine assists and 17 digs
- Treslyn Ortiz had 14 digs and three assists

FIRST SET

- A kill and a block from Chloe Allen gave Augusta a 14-8 lead in set one
- A Nedu Evans kill put the Jaguars on top 18-12
- A kill and a block from Lambillotte got the 'Dogs within four at 18-14
- Allen's kill and a WU error gave the Jaguars a 22-16 advantage
- Wingate scored the next four, getting kills from Schaff and Alles to make it 22-20
- Jessica Hedrick's kill made it 23-20, but the Bulldogs scored the next three to tie it
- Alles had a kill, while Lambillotte's block tied it
- Augusta took a 24-23 lead, but back-to-back attack errors put WU on top 25-24
- Wingate won the set on another Augusta error

SECOND SET

- Augusta jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the second set
- Schaff's kill got WU within three
- Madison Malloch's kill gave the Jaguars a 15-8 lead
- A Nicolette Ramos kill made it 19-12
- The Jaguars scored the last six points of the frame, with a WU error ending it

THIRD SET

- Wingate raced out to an 8-2 lead, getting two kills from Blackley and Anne Abernathy
- Kylie Martin's ace got the Jaguars within five at 11-6
- A Mather kill made it 14-6
- A kill and a block from Mather made it 17-8
- Another kill and block from Mather put the 'Dogs on top 20-10
- Two Blackley kills made it 24-12; Schaff's kill ended the frame

FOURTH SET

- A Ramos kill gave the Jaguars an 8-2 lead in set four
- Kills from Alles and Schaff got the 'Dogs within three at 10-7
- Augusta scored seven of the next eight, with back-to-back Martin aces capping it to make it 17-8
- A Ramos ace made it 24-11; Allen's kill ended the frame

FIFTH SET

- An Allen block gave the Jaguars a 4-1 lead
- Blackley's kill got Wingate within one, but a Martin kill made it 7-4
- A Kasprak kill and Young ace made it 7-6
- A Mather block and Alles ace made it 8-8
- A Wingate error put AU back on top 9-8
- The Bulldogs scored the next four, getting three Schaff kill and a Mather block to take a 12-9 lead
- Augusta scored the next four, with a Ramos block putting the Jaguars on top 13-12
- A block from Schaff and Lambillotte tied it at 13
- A Jessica Hedrick kill made it 14-13; Ramos ended it with a kill