Wingate Captures Third Straight Volleyball Championship

NEWBERRY, S.C. -- The Wingate University volleyball team clinched its third consecutive South Atlantic Conference regular season title with a 3-1 win at Newberry College Wednesday night. The Bulldogs won by scores of 25-21, 17-25, 25-17 and 25-20 to improve to 24-1 overall and 13-0 in the SAC. The number one team in the Southeast Region, Wingate has won 22 consecutive matches. The ninth ranked team in the region, Newberry falls to 16-8 overall and 8-4 in the league.

Sophomore middle blocker Stormi Gale (Richmond, Texas) led the Wingate attack with 16 kills and nine digs. Sophomore outside hitter Lauren Billo (Orland Park, Ill.) added 14 kills while hitting .519. Senior outside hitter Kathryn Reddick (Franklinton, N.C.) and sophomore middle blocker Rebecca Bloemer (Louisville, Ky.) chipped in with seven kills each for the Bulldogs. Freshman setter Liz Willis (Raleigh, N.C.) had 38 assists and 11 digs, while freshman libero Maggie Malone (Chicago, Ill.) racked up 19 digs and five aces.

Senior outside hitter Priscila Sales (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) led the Newberry attack with 17 kills and eight digs. Junior outside hitter Lorena Maia (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) added 12 kills for the scarlet-and-gray. Sophomore setter Brianna Blakely (Houston, Texas) had 29 assists and 14 digs.

"It was a very intense and emotional match and we feel really good about coming out with a win tonight," Wingate head coach Shelton Collier says.

The Bulldogs got off to a quick start in the first set, taking a 5-0 lead thanks to an ace from junior defensive specialist Chelsea Cancelliere (Richboro, Pa.) and three kills from Gale. Newberry fought back to tie the set at nine on a kill from Sales. The teams would trade the next few points. Neither team could gain a lead larger than one until a Gale kill, followed by a Newberry error gave the Bulldogs a 20-18 advantage. A block from Billo pushed the lead to three.

A kill from junior outside hitter Dani Hroblak (Lake Wylie, S.C.), followed by a Wingate error got the scarlet-and-gray within one at 21-20. The Bulldogs would reel off three straight points, getting two Newberry errors and an ace from Malone to make it 24-21. Gale finished the set with a kill.

Newberry jumped out to a 15-9 lead in the second set on a kill from Hroblak. A kill from Reddick cut the lead to five at 17-12. A kill from sophomore outside hitter Kara Harris (Grandview, Texas) followed by an ace from Sales pushed the lead to seven at 19-12.

A kill each from Gale and Willis to go along with a Newberry error cut the lead to 19-15. Newberry answered with a kill from Hroblak to push the lead back to five. Wingate would get no closer the rest of the way, as junior outside hitter Kember Lichtie (Amarillo, Texas) concluded the set with an ace.

A kill from Bloemer gave the Bulldogs a 15-9 lead in the third set. A kill from Hroblak cut the lead to five at 16-11. Wingate stretched the lead to 19-11, thanks to an ace from Malone and a kill from sophomore outside hitter Heather Myklebust (Sugar Land, Texas). A kill from Harris followed by a double block from Maia and Blakely made it 19-14. Reddick responded with a kill to get the lead back to six. The lead would stay above five the rest of the set; Billo finished the frame with a kill.

A kill from Gale gave the Bulldogs a 13-9 lead in the fourth set. A block from Maia cut the lead to two at 14-12. Wingate would stretch the lead back to three at 16-13 on a kill from freshman outside hitter Janice Ehorn (Orange, Conn.). A kill from Maia, followed by a Wingate error tied the set at 19. Wingate scored the next three points, the last two coming on Ehorn kills to make it 22-19. The lead would not go below two, as senior middle blocker Ashley Craven (Southern Pines, N.C.) completed the match with a kill.

Wingate hit .259 for the match, with 54 kills and 16 errors in 147 attacks. Newberry hit .173 for the match, with 46 kills and 19 errors in 156 attacks. Each team had six aces; Malone led all players with five.

The Bulldogs return to action Tuesday, Nov. 4, when they host Lenoir-Rhyne University at 7 p.m. Newberry is back in action Friday, traveling to Catawba College for a 4 p.m. start.