GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Wingate University volleyball team rallied from a set down to defeat host Tusculum College 3-1 Friday night at Pioneer Arena in a South Atlantic Conference battle.
The 15th-ranked Bulldogs remain undefeated on the season and extend their SAC winning-streak to 77 in a row. Wingate (22-0, 13-0 SAC) snaps the Pioneers (15-8, 8-5 SAC) 17-match home winning streak, a run dating back to last season.
The Bulldogs won the match by scores of 28-30, 25-9, 25-23, 25-14 as the Pioneers drop their first home contest since Sept. 18, 2010 to Wingate.
Wingate's Susie Murach recorded 18 kills and 15 digs, while Anna Hilton added 14 kills and 24 digs. Setter Liz Willis also posted a double-double with her 55 assists and 18 digs.
Tusculum's Sam Underwood accounted for nine kills, nine digs and two blocks, while setter Ashley Sarmiento finished with 30 assists and nine digs. All-American libero Caitlyn Dean led all players with a match-high 39 digs in the loss.
Wingate was solid defensively as they mounted 104 digs and limited the Pioneers to a .110 team attack percentage for the match, including .040 (22-17-126) in the final three sets combined.
The opening set was a thriller for the 566 fans in attendance as the two teams battled back and forth. There were 19 ties and seven lead changes in a set that didn't see a lead of more than two points throughout the exciting frame. Wingate took a 23-21 lead following a 4-0 run that included a kill by Lexi Potter and a Stephanie Tassone service ace. TC answered with back-to-back kills by rookie Megan Hasse to square the frame at 23-23. Wingate reached set point at 24-23 thanks to a TC service error, but that would be the last lead the Bulldogs would have in the stanza. With the score tied at 28-28, Kassie Voelker and Bailee Price closed out the set with kills as TC won 30-28.
It was all Wingate in the second set as the Bulldogs raced out to a 9-1 lead and never looked back en route to a 25-9 win to level the match at one set each. Wingate hit a sizzling .438 in the set, while limiting Tusculum to hit minus-.051
Wingate looked to keep the momentum at the start of the third set as the Bulldogs led 7-2 thanks to four kills by Murach. Tusculum bounced back with an 8-3 spurt to even the set at 10-10 thanks to a kill and a service ace by Brianna Anderson. TC would increase their advantage to 15-12 in part to a 4-0 run sparked by kills from Dean and Anderson and a pair of Wingate attack errors. But after a Wingate timeout, the Bulldogs responded with a 12-2 run, including seven straight points to forge ahead 24-17. McGowan sparked the rally three kills and a block. Tusculum would not go away as the Pioneers scored six straight points, all via Wingate attack errors, including blocks by Voelker and Price to cut the deficit to 24-23. But McGowan ended the set with her fifth kill of the frame as the Bulldogs held on 25-23 and take a 2-1 set advantage.
Wingate took a 10-2 lead in the fourth set, sparked by a pair of Hilton kills. Tusculum rallied, cutting the deficit to four following a Natalie Gaudreau kills to make the score 16-12. The Bulldogs answered with the next five points to take a 21-12 advantage. Hilton started the run with a kill, while Murach followed with three consecutive kills to push the lead to nine. A kill and an ace from Murach made the margin 24-14, while McGowan sealed the win with a kill on match point.
Wingate's Maggie Malone led the WU defense with 28 digs, while Tassone added 10 digs as well.
Price added eight kills and eight digs for the Pioneers, while Voelker and Boone added six kills each in the loss.
Tusculum returns to action Saturday for a noon match against Catawba College at Pioneer Arena. Wingate will be at Mars Hill College on Saturday for a 5 p.m. contest at Stanford Arena.
- TC -
