Wingate remains number one team in NCAA Division II Southeast Region poll

Indianapolis, Ind.----The Wingate University volleyball team remains the top team in the NCAA Division II Southeast Region. The final regular season poll was released Wednesday afternoon. The Bulldogs are 25-1 overall and finished South Atlantic Conference action 18-0. Wingate went undefeated in SAC regular season play for the fourth consecutive season; they have now won 64 straight league contests. The Bulldogs have been the top team in every Southeast Regional poll since 2008.
           
Flagler (Fla.) College remains the number two team, followed by SAC schools Tusculum College and Lincoln Memorial University. The University of Montevallo (Ala.) is fifth in the poll, followed by Carson-Newman College, Catawba College and Lees-McRae College rounding out the top eight. Anderson University is number nine, while Armstrong Atlantic State University enters this week’s poll at number 10. Wingate is 13-1 this season against teams ranked in this week’s top 10.
           
The Bulldogs have won 23 consecutive matches, while their .961 winning percentage leads the nation. Wingate led the nation in winning percentage in 2007. Wingate is the only school to rank in the top three in the category each of the last four years. The ‘Dogs are 125-7 overall since the start of the ’07 season, good for a .947 winning percentage which leads NCAA Division II. Wingate’s four seniors went 113-4 in regular season play during their four years.
           
The Bulldogs have a balanced attack, with four players averaging at least 2.3 kills per set. Wingate’s 14.87 kills per set rank fourth nationally. The Bulldogs are also fourth in the nation with 13.94 assists per set. The ‘Dogs are 12th nationally with a .276 hitting percentage, while holding opponents to a league-best .132 hitting percentage.
           
Senior middle blocker Stormi Gale (Richmond, Texas) leads the Bulldogs with 3.32 kills per set, while hitting a league-best .389. Her hitting percentage is good for 13th nationally. The 2009 first team All-American is second on Wingate’s all-time charts with 1,474 kills, while also cracking the top six for career aces and block assists. The 2009 SAC and Region Player of the Year notched her 1,000th career dig in Saturday’s victory at Anderson.
           
Freshman outside hitter Cory McGowan (Pittsburgh, Pa.) is second on the team and ninth in the SAC with 2.93 kills per set. Senior outside hitter Lauren Billo (Orland Park, Ill.) is averaging 2.69 kills per set, while ranking ninth in the league with a .270 hitting percentage. Redshirt freshman middle blocker Anna Hilton (Hickory, N.C.) is second in the conference with a .344 hitting percentage, while notching 2.33 kills per set. Senior middle blocker Rebecca Bloemer (Louisville, Ky.) is averaging 1.88 kills per set to go along with a .260 hitting percentage. She earned SAC Player of the Week honors for her efforts over the weekend.
           
Junior setter Liz Willis (Raleigh, N.C.) leads the team with 6.94 assists per set. The two-time first team All-SAC selection is fourth in Wingate history with 2,849 career assists. Senior setter Amanda Clark (Timberlake, N.C.) is averaging 6.00 assists per set on the season. Junior libero Maggie Malone (Chicago, Ill.) leads the Bulldogs with 4.39 digs per set. The 2009 honorable mention All-American set a school-record with 633 digs last season. The two-time All-Region selection is fifth on Wingate’s all-time list with 1,333 digs. Malone’s 4.56 career digs per set is also a school record.
           
The Bulldogs are the number one seed in this week’s Food Lion SAC Tournament, as they look to win their fifth consecutive tournament title. It is the fifth consecutive year the ‘Dogs have entered the tournament as the top seed. Wingate is 18-2 in the SAC tournament since 2003, while claiming the title five times. The ‘Dogs will take on the eighth-seeded Wolves of Newberry College Friday at 12 noon. This weekend’s tournament will take place at Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C.