Top-seeded Wingate University advanced to the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Volleyball Tournament finals with a 3-0 victory over Tusculum College in semifinal action Saturday afternoon at Mars Gym on the campus of Lincoln Memorial University. The Bulldogs (29-0) defeated the Pioneers (18-12) by scores of 25-13, 25-17 and 25-15.

The Bulldogs, ranked 14th in the latest AVCA Division II Coaches Poll, hit .314 as a team in advancing to the SAC Tournament finals for the seventh straight season and limited the Pioneers to a .074 team hitting percentage.

Anna Hilton led the Wingate attack with 10 kills without an error in 25 attacks, while Lexi Potter hit an even .500 with nine kills in 18 attempts. Liz Willis dished out 35 assists for the Bulldogs, and Maggie Malone contributed 18 digs from the back row.

For the Pioneers, Taylor Boone and Bailee Price shared the team lead with six kills apiece, while Ashley Sarmiento had 21 assists and Caitlyn Dean posted a team-high 17 digs.

Wingate scored the match's first four points and built a 14-6 lead midway through the opening set. Kills by Sam Underwood and Price were not enough as the Bulldogs used a kill by Potter to close out the first set 25-13.

Tusculum took its only lead of the match in the second set as Kassie Voelker registered a kill for the first point. Wingate stormed back to go ahead 8-2, but Voelker and Natalie Gaudreau teamed to pull the Pioneers within 12-7. A 7-0 run helped the Bulldogs go ahead 23-11, but the Pioneers countered with their best run of the match, scoring six straight points on kills by Boone, Megan Hasse and Underwood and an ace by Dean to cut the Wingate advantage to 23-17. However, Wingate recovered and scored the final two points on a kill and ace to take a two-set lead with the 25-17 set victory.

The Pioneers refused to roll over for the Bulldogs, who nearly squandered a two-set lead in their quarterfinal match against Carson-Newman. Tusculum trailed 6-5 after back-to-back attack errors by Wingate, but the Bulldogs slowly built their lead to 17-11. Two kills by Voelker brought the Pioneers within 21-15, but the Bulldogs scored the final four points including a kill by Potter to clinch the set 25-15 and the match win.

Wingate will play second-seeded Catawba in Sunday's finals after the Indians swept Mars Hill 3-0 in Saturday's other semifinal match. The Pioneers will await selection of the field for the 2011 NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Tournament, which will be announced Sunday night at 10 p.m. EST.