Wingate Ranked No. 1 In NCAA Southeast Region Volleyball Poll

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- In this season's first regional poll, the Wingate University volleyball team is ranked number one in the Southeast Region. The Bulldogs are 19-1 overall on the season and 8-0 in the South Atlantic Conference. Wingate is currently riding a 17-match winning streak.

The Bulldogs have earned a spot in the NCAA Division II tournament three consecutive seasons and four of the last five years overall. Wingate has won the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference back-to-back years, while not dropping a set in six tourney matches. The Bulldogs have won 28 consecutive matches over SAC opponents; Wingate is 52-3 overall from the beginning of the 2007 season to the present.

"Our team certainly has some long-term goals with regards to the NCAA tournament; the regional rankings play an important role in selection, seeding and determining the host school for this event," Wingate head coach Shelton Collier says. "Although there is much volleyball left to be played in the regular season, we are pleased to be in this position at this point of the season. Hopefully, it will motivate us to keep improving even more."

Armstrong Atlantic State University is second in the region with a 16-5 overall record.

The South Atlantic Conference is well represented with four teams in the top eight. Catawba College is third in the region at 12-6. The Bearcats of Lander University check in at fourth in the region at 14-8. Pfeiffer University, Tusculum College, Carson-Newman College and Newberry College occupy the five through eight positions in the Southeast Region. USC Aiken and Francis Marion University rank ninth and 10th, respectively. Wingate is 7-1 against the other nine ranked teams in the region.

The Pioneers (15-5, 6-2 SAC) have won their last three matches and five of their last six, including Wednesday's four-set win at Lincoln Memorial.

The Bulldogs travel to Brevard College Saturday to face the Tornados for the second time this season. Wingate swept Brevard in the first meeting on September 27. The Bulldogs travel to Catawba Tuesday night to face the Catawba Indians. Wingate topped Catawba on September 23 in Cuddy Arena.

Wingate returns home next weekend, hosting Mars Hill College Friday night (Oct. 24) at 7 p.m. Wingate will take on Tusculum College Saturday afternoon (Oct. 25) at 5 p.m. The Bulldogs defeated both teams earlier this season by 3-1 scores.

Southeast Region volleyball poll

Team, Overall Record
1. Wingate 19-1
2. Armstrong Atlantic St. 16-5
3. Catawba 12-6
4. Lander 14-8
5. Pfeiffer 17-3
6. Tusculum 14-5
7. Carson-Newman 16-11
8. Newberry 12-7
9. USC Aiken 12-6
10. Francis Marion 16-5