HICKORY, N.C. – In another dramatic five-setter, the Lenoir-Rhyne Volleyball Team defeated Wingate for the first time since 2016. The Bears handed Wingate their second straight SAC loss, the first time Wingate dropped back-to-back league contests since October 2018. The win was LR's third straight overall with all three coming in five sets.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Lenoir-Rhyne 3, Wingate 2
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (3-2, 1-0 SAC) | Wingate (5-2, 1-2 SAC)
Location: Shuford Gymnasium
STATS OF THE MATCH:
- Taylor Prall finished off the five-set win with a kill to give the Bears a 15-12 victory. Prall ended the night with nine kills and a team-high 19 digs.
- Alannah Thomas had eight kills and a .217 hitting percentage and Mackenzie Hulsey had a double-double with 28 assists and 16 digs.
- Emma Clark came off the bench to provide six kills and a .500 hitting percentage.
- Wingate took the first set before the Bears rallied to take set two. Wingate dominated the third set, winning 25-5 but LR had the answer. In the fourth set, the Bears posted a 25-6 win and hit .556 with zero errors in the frame.
- LR jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the fifth set before the Bulldogs stormed back within one at 12-11. LR closed it out with a 3-1 run to grab the victory.
- The Bears forced Wingate into 24 errors and held them to a negative hitting percentage in the fourth and fifth sets.
- Three Bulldogs had double-digit kills led by 11 from Sophie Schaff.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
- This was the first match inside the newly renovated Shuford Gymnasuim.
- Wingate has won 12 of the last 13 regular season SAC championships.
- Wingate's back-to-back SAC losses both came in five sets.
- Wingate had won seven straight against the Bears prior to tonight.
UP NEXT: The Bears will return to action on Thursday when they host Coker at 7 p.m.
