Wingate Wednesday Press Conference (Tekavec, Morland, Hoffman)

Sioux Falls, S.D.----The 20th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs are in Sioux Falls, S.D. for the 2024 NCAA Volleyball National Quarterfinals, which begin Thursday. The Southeast Region champion Bulldogs will face South Region champion Lynn University Friday at 5:30 p.m. in the Sanford Pentagon. Wingate enters the quarterfinals at 31-2 overall, riding a 23-match winning streak that included winning the SAC Tournament title and the NCAA Southeast Regional championship. Lynn is the 12th-ranked team in the nation, entering the quarterfinals at 30-3 overall, while going 17-3 in the Sunshine State Conference.

NCAA National Quarterfinals
#20 Wingate (31-2; 17-1 SAC) vs. #12 Lynn (30-3; 17-3 SSC)
Thursday, Dec. 21 | 5:30 p.m. | Sioux Falls, S.D. (Sanford Pentagon)
Championship Central | Watch | Live Stats | Bracket

WINGATE HISTORY

- The 'Dogs are the number five seed in the national quarterfinals
- Wingate is ranked #20 in the most recent AVCA top 25 poll
- The Bulldogs are riding a 23-match winning streak
- The 'Dogs have won 52 of their last 54 sets entering the quarterfinals
- WU swept through the SAC Tourney, then won nine of 10 sets in regionals
- This will be the seventh national quarterfinal appearance for Wingate
- Other six titles: 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2022
- The Bulldogs dropped a tight 3-2 match against eventual national champion West Texas A&M in 2022
- Wingate has won seven region titles, all coming since 2010
- Six of the seven region titles have come at home
- The 2010 season was the first national quarterfinal appearance in WU history
- The 'Dogs are making their 19th consecutive NCAA Tourney appearance
- Wingate has played in the region title match 10 times, winning seven of those matches
- The Bulldogs have won 18 of the last 19 regular season SAC titles and 14 of 19 tourney titles
- The Bulldogs are 524-53 overall since the start of the 2007 season, going 312-20 in league play
- The 'Dogs are 31-19 all-time in NCAA Tourney play

LYNN HISTORY

- The Fighting Knights are the four seed in the quarterfinals
- Lynn is 30-3 overall and ranked #12 in the most recent AVCA poll
- LU riding a nine-match winning streak
- Lynn won a five-set thriller against Tampa in the South Region title match
- The fighting Knights will be making the first national quarterfinal appearance in program history

WINGATE NOTES

- The Bulldogs have piled up the accolades this year
- Sydney Morland is the SAC Player of the Year and SAC Tourney MVP
- Morland was named the AVCA and D2CCA Region Player of the Year
- Morland earned AVCA second team All-American honors, with D2CCA third team accolades
- Maya Van Heyst is an AVCA third team All-American
- Maddie Hoffman, Emily Johnson and Gabby Saye are AVCA honorable mention All-Americans
- The five AVCA All-Americans are the most in program history
- The 'Dogs had four selections each of the last two years
- Morland, Van Heyst and Johnson were first team All-SAC honorees
- Hoffman and Saye were second team All-SAC; Lorna Stacherski was a third team All-SAC honoree
- Lauren Tekavec was named the SAC and AVCA Region Coach of the Year
- Wingate ranks second in the nation in kills per set and third in hitting percentage and assists per set
- The Bulldogs are third in winning percentage and seventh in opponents' hitting percentage
- WU is the only team in D2 in the top 10 in hitting percentage and opponents' hitting percentage
- Morland is fifth in the nation in hitting percentage (.427), with Johnson ranked 16th (.379)
- Saye is third in the SAC in hitting percentage (.343), with Van Heyst ranked seventh (.302)
- Hoffman is in the top 20 in the nation in digs (595) and digs per set (5.36), ranking second in the SAC
- Van Heyst is eighth in the nation with her four triple-doubles
- The sophomore also has 20 double-doubles on the year
- Wingate's incredibly balanced attack has six players with over 200 kills
- Four of the six players are hitting over .300 on the year, with three over .340

LYNN NOTES

- Lynn also had five players earn AVCA All-American accolades
- Maria Cecilio Pinho led the way, earning second team honors
- Isabella Gentile picked up third team accolades
- Aline Olegario, Hope Passerello and Samantha Wolf earned honorable mention recognition
- The Fighting Knights are eighth in the nation with a .268 hitting percentage
- Lynn is 13th nationally in kills per set and 14th in opponents' hitting percentage
- Pinho averages over three kills per set while hitting .287
- Gentile led the SSC in total digs, ranking second in digs per set
- Wolf leads the Fighting Knights with 3.59 kills per set

UP NEXT

- The Wingate-Lynn winner is on to the NCAA National Semifinals Friday
- The winner will face the Ferris State vs. Bentley winner Friday at 8 p.m.
- The national title match is set for Saturday at 6 p.m.
- Every match will be held at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls