Lexington, Ky.----For the 13th consecutive season, the Wingate University Bulldogs have earned an AVCA top 25 ranking. The Bulldogs wrap up the 2021 spring season ranked #22 in the final top 25 poll. Wingate earned a top 25 ranking in each of the final two polls of the 2021 spring slate.

"It is very rewarding for our program to be included in the national rankings again," head coach Shelton Collier says. "This was for sure the most challenging and unpredictable year of all of our lives, so to achieve some significant accomplishments together as a team is especially meaningful. Winning the conference championship again this season after losing three first team all-conference players to graduation was really rewarding. Playing so well in Dallas at the AVCA National Tournament and being just two points away from making the final four there was an awesome experience for our team as well. I am very proud of how this team worked together this season."

Wingate went 11-1 in the 2021 spring season, with an 8-1 record in the SAC. The Bulldogs finished as the top team in the SAC in the regular season to earn the number one seed in the SAC Tournament. The 'Dogs went on to capture their 12th SAC Tournament title in the last 15 seasons to go along with the 14 regular season SAC championships.

The Bulldogs traveled to Dallas for the AVCA National Championships, opening things up with a sweep over region rival Flagler. Wingate then rallied back from an 0-2 deficit against #3 Hillsdale, winning a five-set thriller to move to 2-0 in the AVCA Tourney. The Bulldogs got matched up against Harding in the quarterfinal contest and raced out to a 2-0 lead before falling 25-23, 25-20 and 15-13 in the final three frames. Harding checks in at #7 in the final AVCA poll.

Wingate led the SAC in nearly every category in 2021, while also ranking among the nation's best. The 'Dogs ranked fourth in the nation in kills per set, fifth in hitting percentage and assists per set, eighth in opponents' hitting percentage, 17th in blocks per set and 23rd in digs per set.

Shannon Kasprak was named the SAC Player of the Year, ranking 12th nationally in assists per set while running one of the country's most potent offense. Sophie Schaff joined Kasprak as a first team All-SAC honoree, ranking in the top 10 in the conference in kills per set, blocks per set and hitting percentage. Reese Blackley earned second team all-conference accolades, leading the Bulldogs with 3.14 kills per set. Courtney Niesen was also a second team All-SAC selection, piling up 5.57 digs per set while anchoring the league's top defense.

Molly Lambillotte had another impressive all-around season for the Bulldogs, piling up 2.32 kills and 3.11 digs per set, while Maggie Young ranked second in the SAC with a .319 hitting percentage. Lorna Stacherski earned All-SAC Freshman honors, finishing fourth in the league with a .295 hitting percentage. Quin Sutphin played in the final five matches of the season, hitting .279 with 2.69 kills and 1.12 blocks per set. Maggie Mullen contributed 3.11 digs per set for the WU defense, with Kasey Eastland adding 2.03 digs per set on the season.

The Bulldogs have now gone 418-39 overall since the start of the 2007 season, good for a .935 winning percentage. Wingate is 327-21 in the regular season over that span and 245-14 in league play. The 'Dogs have earned a SAC-record 15 consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, while earning hosting duties at the NCAA Southeast Regionals eight times. The Bulldogs are the only SAC team to ever earn an AVCA ranking. Wingate has been included in 77 polls since 2009, climbing as high as seventh during the 2014 season. Wingate has won at least 30 matches in 10 of the last 13 full seasons; the rest of the current SAC schools have combined for two this century. The 'Dogs have ranked in the top 10 in winning percentage every year since 2007, leading the nation in 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2018, ranking third in 2008, 2009, 2014 and 2019 and fourth in 2012. The Bulldogs have had three or few losses in 11 of the last 14 seasons.

It will be a shorter offseason for the Bulldogs, who will be back to a full slate in the fall of 2021. Wingate is scheduled to begin the 2021 season in early September, opening things up at the Queens Invitational in Charlotte.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a laboratory of difference-making that serves more than 3,600 students in North Carolina. Wingate offers 36 undergraduate majors as well as six master's and four doctoral programs. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences; the Levine College of Health Sciences; the Byrum School of Business; and the College of Professional Studies, which includes the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences.
 
Wingate is the leading healthcare education provider in western North Carolina, and nearly one in five Wingate undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Athletes on Wingate's 23 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award for 13 years straight. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.