ROCK HILL, S.C. --- The third-seeded Tusculum women's volleyball team stunned Wingate, the top team in the region, on Thursday (Nov. 16) night to secure the program's first South Atlantic Conference Tournament title. With the victory, the Pioneers have earned the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional.
Representing Tusculum on the SAC All-Tournament Team were Madison Adkins, Martina Foster, and Emiah Burrowes (MVP).
The Pioneers (22-6) shocked the ranked Bulldogs (27-3) in a four-set battle: 25-22, 25-20, 13-25, 25-22. This ended Wingate's 18-match winning streak, yet extended Tusculum's surge to 10.
Gabby Saye finished with a match-high 17 kills to lead the Bulldogs, ahead of 13 on a .312 clip by Emily Johnson. Katie Jamerson distributed 24 assists, while Amber Rowoldt landed a trio of service aces. Jamerson also scooped up 27 digs to complete her double-double. Both Saye and Johnson were credited with three block assists.
Burrowes recorded a team-leading 16 kills, followed by 13 from Foster on a .429 hitting percentage. Adding to the scoring were Olivia Crowl (9), Aly Freeland (8), Whitney Thompson (5), and Adkins (3). The latter dished out 42 assists, while Freeland (2) and Foster (1) contributed the aces. Freshman Caley Sosnowski collected a match-best 28 digs, followed by Freeland (19), Adkins (17), Amiranee Au (16), and Burrowes (12). Foster had a hand in four blocks, including three solo.
Wingate hit .155 as a team with 51 kills and 22 errors on 187 total attempts. Tusculum hit .178 with 54 kills, 21 errors, and 185 total attacks. The Pioneers led the match in digs (98-96) and total blocks (8-7), while the Bulldogs tallied more assists (48-46) and service aces (7-3).
Set one of the championship match was the most contested, featuring eight ties and five lead changes. The Tusculum offense came through with Crowl going 5-for-7 on swings and Burrowes added five kills as well. Wingate got off to a strong start. Down by four, TU used a 9-4 spurt to grab a 12-11 lead. The Bulldogs quickly regained composure to resume the lead, but the Pioneers hung around, stringing together three-straight kills, including two by Crowl, to hold a 19-17 advantage. Wingate retook the 20-19 edge, but Tusculum kept fighting, finishing the frame on a 6-2 run.
The Pioneers kept up the momentum, leading the second set from start to finish. Wingate had to burn its two timeouts early in the set (8-3 and 15-9), but could not slow down Tusculum. The lead stretched to 19-10 behind consecutive kills by Foster and contributions by Burrowes and Thompson. Foster went 4-for-7 on swings in the second set, with Burrowes adding six strikes. The Bulldogs closed the gap late with a 6-1 spurt, but the Pioneers had the frame well in hand, closed out by Burrowes.
Looking to avoid being swept for the first time in 2023, Wingate used its defense to force a fourth set. Tusculum hit -.120 with only five kills, coming from either Foster or Freeland, while the Bulldogs notched four blocks. Sosnowski did her best work with nine digs in the single frame. All six ties and three lead changes came early as Wingate rattled off 12-straight scores to lead 23-10. The Pioneers earned three points back, but the Bulldogs kept the match alive.
Tusculum could nearly taste the title with the lone tie happening at 1-1. The Pioneers hit a match-best .302. Burrowes landed five kills, Foster was 3-for-6, and Thompson fired at a 3-for-7 rate. Defensively, all three TU blocks were solo rejections with two off of Foster and the clincher by Crowl. Tusculum kept Wingate at arms length, fluctuating the lead between one to three points. The Pioneers' biggest advantage came late, reaching a six-score difference at 23-17. Foster's kill was followed by consecutive points by Burrowes with Perri Wood back to serve. Wingate attempted to force a decisive fifth set in the tournament finale by going on a 5-0 run to nearly negate the lead. Burrowes tallied match-point before Crowl returned a ball to sender via block to clinch Tusculum's first event title.
Tusculum awaits its seed as the eight-team regional field and site will be announced on Monday (Nov. 20) night. The selections will be revealed at 7:30 p.m. on NCAA.com.
2023 SAC All-Tournament Team
Jaelynn Grimm, Anderson
Lyndsee Warren, Lenoir-Rhyne
Maggie Young, Wingate
Gabby Saye, Wingate
Martina Foster, Tusculum
Madison Adkins, Tusculum
Emiah Burrowes, Tusculum (MVP)
