Wingate, N.C.----The top-seeded and 20th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs are on to the regional title match after sweeping past fourth-seeded Augusta University in the semifinals of the 2024 NCAA Southeast Regional volleyball tournament in Cuddy Arena Saturday night. Wingate won by scores of 25-20, 25-20 and 25-20 to improve to 30-2 overall, while the Jaguars fall to 20-8 on the season. The Bulldogs win their 22nd straight match, advancing to Sunday's regional title match against Lander at 3 p.m. in Cuddy Arena. Wingate is playing in the region championship match for the 10th time since 2009, looking for a seventh regional title and first since 2022.

KEY STATS

- Wingate had 47 kills and 14 errors in 127 attacks, hitting .260
- Augusta had 38 kills and 19 errors in 136 swings to hit .140
- The Bulldogs had three of the five aces on the night
- The 'Dogs had eight of the 14 blocks
- Wingate held a 67-50 advantage in digs
- WU had 17 kills in each of the first two frames, hitting .400 in set two
- The Jaguars hit under .130 in two of the three sets

KEY BULLDOGS

- Gabby Saye hit .529 with 10 kills, two digs and a block
- Lorna Stacherski added 10 kills, four digs and five blocks
- Maya Van Heyst had nine kills, 22 assists and seven digs
- Sydney Morland hit .333 with eight kills and three blocks
- Elsa Lamphere contributed six kills, 10 digs, two blocks and an ace
- Emily Johnson had four kills, four blocks, three digs and an ace
- Maddie Hoffman piled up 23 digs to go along with four assists
- Katie Jamerson had 17 assists, 13 digs and an ace

SET ONE

- A Marin Freeland kill gave Augusta a 9-8 lead
- Saye's kill tied it at 10, while a Morland kill gave WU a 12-11 lead
- The 'Dogs went on a 7-0 run to take a 20-13 lead, getting three Van Heyst kills
- A Madelyn Eden kill cut the lead to three at 22-19
- Two Saye kills put the 'Dogs on top 24-20; Jamerson's ace ended the set

SET TWO

- Kills from Lamphere, Van Heyst and Saye gave Wingate an early 6-2 lead
- Kills from Stacherski and Van Heyst made it 12-6
- Kills from Van Heyst and Saye, along with a Stacherski block stretched the lead to seven
- A Lamphere ace and two Stacherski kills gave the Bulldogs a 21-11 advantage
- Eden's kill capped a 7-2 AU run that cut the lead to four at 23-19
- Saye's kill made it 24-19; another Saye kill ended the frame

SET THREE

- Two Saye kills helped the 'Dogs jump out to a 5-2 lead in set three
- Kills from Saye, Stacherski and Morland made it 8-4
- Eden's kill cut the lead to one at 9-8
- WU scored four of the next five, getting two kills and a block from Stacherski to make it 13-9
- A Mia Saavedra kill pulled the Jaguars within one at 14-13
- The 'Dogs scored five of the next six, getting two kills and a block from Lamphere to take a 19-14 lead
- A Sophia Kruczko kill cut the lead to three at 20-17, but Morland answered with a block
- Freeland's kill made it 21-19
- A kill and a block from Stacherski put the 'Dogs on top 23-19
- Another Stacherski kill made it 24-20; an Augusta error ended the match

UP NEXT

- Wingate is back in action Sunday at 3 p.m. in the region title match
- The 'Dogs host second-seeded Lander in Cuddy Arena
- The winner advances to the national quarterfinals in Sioux Falls, S.D.
- The Bulldogs are looking to make their seventh national quarterfinal appearance