Wingate's Hilton Named to AVCA All-America Third Team

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Wingate University redshirt junior right-side hitter Anna Hilton has been named a third-team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). 

Hilton joins Liz Willis (2011) and Stormi Gale (2009 & 2010) as the only Bulldogs to earn the prestigious honor from the AVCA. Maggie Malone (2009), Lauren Billo (2009) and Melissa DeLuca (2007) were honorable mention All-Americans. Hilton is one of only two players from the Southeast region to earn All-American honors, joining Region Player of the Year Ashley Seal from Armstrong Atlantic.

"Anna has won several prestigious awards as a student-athlete at Wingate, but this All American award is without question the most significant award of her athletic career," head coach Shelton Collier says. "To be selected to this group, meaning she is legitimately one of the top 42 players in the country, is really an impressive achievement by her. Anna has worked very hard to develop her game over the last several years, and we are so proud of her for being recognized with such a special award. There was only one other right-side player selected, and she plays for the number one team in the country, so this is an indication as to how highly the committee thought of Anna in her position."

Hilton has been a first team All-SAC and All-Region selection the past two seasons. She earned SAC Player of the Year honors, while also earning MVP honors at the Food Lion SAC Tournament. Hilton was also named to the All-Tournament team at the NCAA Southeast Regionals.

Hilton ranks second in the SAC with a .317 hitting percentage, while ranking second on the team with 3.03 kills and 3.37 digs per set. She has also registered 62 blocks, 103 assists and 10 aces on the season. Hilton has 20 matches this season with double-digit kills, while registering 13 double-doubles on the year. In her career, Hilton has piled up 862 kills and 755 digs. She is hitting .331 in her career.

Hilton hit .400 with 15 kills in the 3-1 win over 15th-ranked Flagler. She piled up 13 kills and 27 digs in the sweep over Queens, while compiling 15 kills, 13 digs and five blocks at Newberry, hitting. 438. Her 17 kills, 14 digs, three blocks and .471 hitting percentage led the 'Dogs past Carson-Newman. She had 15 kills and 15 digs to lead Wingate to a 3-1 win at Tusculum. Hilton capped her regular season with a 16-kill, 19-dig performance in the 3-2 win at LMU and a 14-kill, 21-dig effort at Carson-Newman. Hilton had 12 kills and 18 digs in the SAC Tournament quarterfinal win over Anderson, hitting .364. She had 14 kills and a career-high 37 digs in the SAC title match against Tusculum. Hilton had 10 kills and 10 digs in the regional semifinal victory over Newberry, while registering eight kills and 19 digs in the regional title match against Tusculum, hitting .421.

In Hilton's three-year career, the Bulldogs have won three regular season SAC titles, three SAC Tournament titles and two region titles. Wingate has gone 95-5 overall, with a 52-2 mark in SAC play. The Bulldogs led the nation in winning percentage in 2010 and 2011 and are currently ranked fourth in 2012.

The Bulldogs have won seven consecutive SAC regular season titles, while also winning seven straight SAC Tournament championships. In the history of the SAC, only six other teams have ever won the league regular season title and tournament title in the same season, while only Presbyterian in 2004 and 2005 won both titles in back-to-back years. In Wingate's unprecedented seven-year run, the Bulldogs have won 98 of 100 SAC contests, while winning 122 of their last 125 contests against SAC opponents overall. The Bulldogs are 195-11 overall since the start of the 2007 season. The Bulldogs have the best winning percentage in the nation over the past six seasons.

The Bulldogs have compiled 11 NCAA Tournament victories, all coming in the past five seasons. Wingate's 11 NCAA Tournament victories are two more than the rest of the SAC combined. The Bulldogs have advanced to the regional semifinals in each of the past five years, while reaching the regional finals match the past four seasons. Wingate's 3-0 win over Flagler in 2010 gave the Bulldogs the first regional title in school or SAC history. Wingate became the first SAC volleyball team to reach the NCAA Elite Eight. The Bulldogs swept their way to a regional title in 2012, defeating three SAC teams to win their second regional championship in three years. Wingate is one of only two teams to not drop a set in the 2012 NCAA Tournament.

The Bulldogs return to action Thursday in the Elite Eight, taking on top-ranked and five-time defending national champion Concordia-St. Paul Thursday at 1 p.m. The Golden Bears have won 33 consecutive NCAA Tournament matches. This year's Elite Eight will take place at the University of West Florida in Pensacola, Fla.

[Complete AVCA All-America Team]

- Wingate media relations