Wingate Bulldogs are number one seed at this weekend's Food Lion SAC tournament

Rock Hill, S.C.----For the fifth consecutive season, the Wingate University Bulldogs will enter the Food Lion SAC volleyball tournament as the number one seed. The Bulldogs are 25-1 overall and went 18-0 in the SAC regular season, completing their fourth consecutive undefeated run through conference play. Wingate has won 64 consecutive SAC regular season matches. The ‘Dogs have also won four consecutive Food Lion SAC tournaments and five of the last seven.

The Bulldogs will take on the number eight seed Newberry College Friday at 12 p.m. Every match in this weekend’s tournament will take place at Catawba College. Tusculum College is the number two seed and will battle the seventh-seeded Lions of Mars Hill College. Lincoln Memorial University is the number three seed; they will play the number six seed Anderson (S.C.) University. Carson-Newman College is the fourth seed; the Eagles will face tournament host Catawba College Friday.

Wingate has won 12 consecutive Food Lion SAC tournament matches. The Bulldogs are 18-2 in the Food Lion SAC tournament since 2003. The Bulldogs defeated the Wolves both times this season. Wingate is 32-0 all-time against Newberry. Senior middle blocker Stormi Gale (Richmond, Texas) had 11 kills, seven digs and a .450 hitting percentage in the home victory, while freshman outside hitter Cory McGowan (Pittsburgh, Pa.) added 10 kills and 12 digs. Gale had 15 kills, 12 digs and a .517 hitting percentage in the 3-1 win at Newberry this past weekend, while senior middle blocker Rebecca Bloemer (Louisville, Ky.) notched her first career double-double with 15 kills and 12 digs. Junior setter Liz Willis (Raleigh, N.C.) handed out a season-high 50 assists, while collecting 11 digs.

Wingate’s 3-0 win at Anderson Saturday gave the Bulldogs their fourth consecutive undefeated SAC season. Bloemer had 11 kills in 14 swings for a .714 hitting percentage to lead the way. McGowan added 11 kills and nine digs, while Gale collected her 39th career double-double with 10 kills and 15 digs. Willis added 37 assists and eight digs, while sophomore outside hitter Katie Handy (Palos Verdes, Calif.) contributed a career-high 13 digs.

Wingate’s balanced attack has four players averaging at least 2.3 kills per set. The 14.86 kills per set ranks third nationally, while the 13.93 assists per set are good for fourth in the nation. Gale leads the way with 3.32 kills per set, with a league-best .389 hitting percentage. McGowan is second on the team with 2.93 kills per set, followed by senior outside hitter Lauren Billo (Orland Park, Ill.) with 2.68 kills per set. Billo’s .268 hitting percentage ranks 10th in the league. Redshirt freshman middle blocker Anna Hilton (Hickory, N.C.) is fourth on the team with 2.33 kills per set, while ranking third in the conference with a .344 hitting percentage.

The Bulldogs are 25-1 overall, good for a .962 winning percentage which leads the nation. The ‘Dogs led the nation in winning percentage in 2007; they are the only team to rank in the top three in that category every year since 2007. Wingate is 125-7 overall since the start of the ’07 season, good for a .947 winning percentage which leads all of Division II. In the last four regular seasons, the Bulldogs went 112-4 overall and 64-0 in the conference.

The Bulldogs defeated Brevard, Catawba and Carson-Newman on their way to the 2009 Food Lion SAC tournament title. Junior libero Maggie Malone (Chicago, Ill.) earned tournament MVP honors, while Gale and Billo also earned All-Tournament honors. Gale earned MVP honors in 2008, as the ‘Dogs swept Lincoln Memorial in the championship match. In Wingate’s four-year reign as tournament champions, they have won 36 sets, while dropping only four.