No. 23 Wingate Volleyball Outlasts Carson-Newman Onslaught, 3-2, Friday Night In SAC Action
WINGATE, N.C. – The Wingate University Volleyball Team (30-1, 15-0 SAC) got all that it could handle from Carson-Newman College (19-8, 11-4 SAC) Friday night at Cuddy Arena, as the Bulldogs held on to defeat the Lady Eagles by a 3-2 (23-25, 18-25, 25-21, 25-21, 17-15) score in South Atlantic Conference action. C-N came as close as anybody has to handing Wingate its first SAC loss since the 2006 season.
WINGATE, N.C. – The Wingate University Volleyball Team (30-1, 15-0 SAC) got all that it could handle from Carson-Newman College (19-8, 11-4 SAC) Friday night at Cuddy Arena, as the Bulldogs held on to defeat the Lady Eagles by a 3-2 (23-25, 18-25, 25-21, 25-21, 17-15) score in South Atlantic Conference action. C-N came as close as anybody has to handing Wingate its first SAC loss since the 2006 season.
"Our players executed the game plan and set themselves up for the win," said Head Coach Shannon Mincey after the match. "We had Wingate at match point in the fifth (set) but couldn't finish. They have more experience winning and tonight it really showed."
Carson-Newman took a 1-0 lead after the first set. Down 12-6,
the Lady Eagles scored seven out of the next eight points to tie
the score at 13 points each. The two teams traded side outs for
until the score was 22-20 in favor of the Bulldogs. C-N was able to
score five of the next six points to come back and take the
set.
The Lady Eagles extended their lead to two sets to none as they
held the Bulldogs to only 18 points in the second frame, WU’s
lowest set score of the season. C-N hit .333 (14-3-33) for the set
compared to Wingate’s .077 (13-10-39) performance.
The Bulldogs got on the board after winning the third set. A
six-point serving run by Chelsea Cancelliere (Richboro, Pa.) gave
Wingate a 7-2 lead early in the stanza. With the score 18-7,
Carson-Newman stormed back, scoring 10 of the next 11 points to
close the gap to 19-17. WU held on for the set victory to get back
into the match.
Wingate equalized the match score at two sets apiece. The Bulldogs
steadily built a lead and were up by as much as nine at 22-13
before the Lady Eagles began to claw their way back into the
contest again. C-N went on an 8-2 run to close the gap to 24-21
before Wingate’s Stormi Gale (Richmond, Texas) tallied the
deciding score of the frame.
The fifth and deciding set was one for the ages and featured nine
ties and three lead changes. The Lady Eagles went up by a 4-0 score
but allowed the Bulldogs to tie the set up at eight. The two teams
traded points until the set was tied at 13. C-N got a kill from
senior outside hitter Jessica Schachleiter
(Cincinnati, Ohio) to go up 14-13, but Wingate would not go quietly
into the night.
After the Bulldogs tied the score at 14 and Schachleiter tallied
her third kill in four points for the Lady Eagles, Wingate was able
to record three straight points to seal the set and the match.
Wingate was led offensively by Gale with a match-high 19 kills, 12
digs and six blocks. Lauren Billo (Orland Park, Ill.) and Jackie
Emmenecker (Perrysburg, Ohio) recorded 17 and 12 kills,
respectively as well for the Bulldogs.
Liz Willis (Raleigh, N.C.) (31 assists) and Maggie Malone
(Chicago, Ill.) (29 digs) each posted team highs as well for
Wingate.
Schachleiter led the way for the Lady Eagles with 15 kills and 13
digs. Sophomore right side Nikki James
(Cookeville, Tenn.) had 10 kills and six blocks while junior
outside hitter Carly Mozgai (Greensboro, N.C.)
tallied 10 kills as well for C-N.
Lady Eagle setters senior Stephanie Cutter
(Mufreesboro, Tenn.) (23 assists and 25 digs) and junior
Lara McDonald (Salem, Va.) (19 assists and 16
digs) each posted double-doubles while freshman defensive
specialist MacKenzie Tyree (Daleville, Va.) had 20
digs of her own.
"We have to move on to tomorrow and play for a split on the weekend. There are a lot of good things we can take from tonight including the heart and enthusiasm we played with. There is no other team I would I rather coach. We have health and chemistry going for us to round out the year, and at this point the players are in the drivers seat for where they want to finish," concluded Mincey.
Carson-Newman will complete South Atlantic Conference Regular Season play tomorrow when it travels to Salisbury, N.C. to take on Catawba College at 5:00 p.m. With a win against the Lady Indians, C-N guarantees itself sole possession of second place and the #2 seed for the upcoming Food Lion SAC Tournament.
