BREVARD, N.C. - Wingate's Anna Hilton recorded 14 kills and 37 digs to lead the top-seeded Bulldogs to a thrilling five-set victory over No. 2 seed Tusculum in the championship match of the 2012 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament Sunday afternoon.

The three-day, single-elimination tournament was held at Boshamer Gymnasium on the campus of Brevard College.

Wingate (29-2) captures its seventh-straight SAC Tournament title, winning the match by scores of 26-24, 21-25, 25-14, 23-25 and 15-12.

The victory earns the Bulldogs an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Volleyball Championship, which Wingate will enter with a 20-match winning streak. Tusculum (22-7) will learn its postseason fate later tonight with the announcement of the 64-team tournament field. The NCAA II Selection Show begins at 10 p.m. (EST) on www.NCAA.com.

The five-set marathon was a battle of conference titans throughout as the score was tied a combined 35 times, including 16 lead changes.

The match opened with a back-and-forth first set, with neither team building more than a three-point cushion. With Wingate leading 11-10 following a Susie Murach kill, TC scored four straight to take a 14-11 lead, sparked by a kill and a service ace from Megan Hasse. Wingate responded with a 5-2 spurt to take a 17-16 advantage thanks to a Lexi Potter kill.

Following a TC timeout, the Pioneers rattled off three straight on kills from Alyssa Raterman, Sam Underwood and Hasse to go back out in front at 19-17. TC would take a 23-22 lead on a Stauffer kill, but the Bulldogs finished the set on a 4-1 run, including a Shelly Stumpff kill on set-point as WU prevailed 26-24. Both teams hit at a high level in the opening stanza as the Bulldogs posted a .375 attack percentage, including Stumpff's .636 effort (7-0-11). TC's .289 hitting percentage was paced by Underwood's five kills, while hitting .625 in the set.

Tusculum bounced back by winning the second set 25-21 to even the contest. The Pioneers jumped out to a 13-8 lead, only to see Wingate respond to take a 20-18 advantage later in the set. But TC put together a late charge and finished with a 7-1 spurt that included back-to-back aces by Hasse and a Kassie Voelker kill on set-point as Tusculum evened the match at a set apiece.

In the third set, Wingate hit .351 while committing only two errors in their 37 attempts to win 25-14. Hilton and Stumpff accounted for four kills each, while the Wingate front-line recorded four blocks to take a 2-1 lead in the match.

The Bulldogs looked to have all the momentum heading to the fourth frame, scoring the first three points and led 17-10 following blocks by Potter and Murach. But Tusculum would chip away at the deficit and cut the Wingate lead down to 18-16 following an ace by Caitlyn Dean and a WU attack error. The Bulldogs went out to a 21-17 lead, but the Pioneers made a dramatic charge with an 8-2 rally that included two kills by Stauffer, an Underwood ace and like the second frame, a Voelker kill on set-point as Tusculum won 25-23 to send the match to a deciding fifth set.

Like the opening frame, the final set was a battle all the way, including eight ties. Wingate scored three straight points to take an 8-5 advantage following a TC attack error. The Pioneers answered with a 5-2 run to tie the set at 10-all on a Stauffer kill. But with the score tied at 12-12, Wingate closed out the match with three consecutive points to claim the program its ninth SAC Tournament title.

Hilton was named the Championship's Most Valuable Player after piling up 14 kills, 37 digs, three assists and two blocks on Sunday. Accompanying Stumpff and Hilton on the SAC All-Tournament Team were teammates Stephanie Tassone, who had 17 digs, and setter Alison Cooke, who dished out 66 assists.

Tusculum was led by Stauffer's 16 kills and Hasse's double-double of 15 kills and 15 digs. Ashley Sarmiento also had a double-double for the Pioneers, finishing with 24 assists and 10 digs. TC's Caitlyn Dean recorded a match-high 48 digs, one shy of a single-match record and tied for the 19th most in NCAA II history.

Hasse and Dean were both named to the All-Tournament Team, as were Newberry's Blair Browning and Lincoln Memorial's Blaire Fowler. Dean earns SAC All-Tournament Team honors for a second time in her career.

In the contest, Underwood became only the second Tusculum player in recorded school history to join the 1,000-1,000 Club for kills and digs. Underwood finished the match with 11 kills, giving her 1,010 for her career, to go along with 1,180 career digs. She joins three-time All-SAC performer Jill Lucas, who tallied 1,413 kills and 1,166 digs from 1998-2001.

Dean also moved into sole possession of second place in South Atlantic Conference with her 2,371 digs, which are also 22nd in NCAA II history. The two-time All-American and three-time All-Conference selection is averaging 7.12 digs per set during her career, which is currently the best in DII history.

- SAC -

2012 SAC All-Tournament Team
Anna Hilton, Wingate (MVP)
Shelly Stumpff, Wingate
Stephanie Tassone, Wingate
Allison Cooke, Wingate
Caitlyn Dean, Tusculum
Megan Hasse, Tusculum
Blair Browning, Newberry
Blaire Fowler, Lincoln Memorial