ROCK HILL, SC - Playing in their first SAC Championship game since 2021, the Lenoir-Rhyne Volleyball team fell 3-0 to a red hot Wingate squad. The Bears, ranked eighth in the region prior to their two SAC tournament wins this week, will now await their NCAA Tournament fate. The NCAA DII Volleyball selection show is set to take place on Monday night at 7:30 p.m. on NCAA.com.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Lenoir-Rhyne 0, Wingate 3 (20-25, 12-25, 21-25)
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (25-6), Wingate (28-2)
Location: Rock Hill Sports and Events Center | Rock Hill, SC

STATS OF THE MATCH:

• Down 8-6 in the opening set, Wingate went on an 8-1 run to go up 14-9.
• LR answered with a 5-1 run, capped off by a Brooke Aeschliman kill.
• Leading 21-20 late, the Bulldogs scored the final four points of the set to go up 1-0.
• Set two was controlled by Wingate as they won 25-12.
• Lenoir-Rhyne saw themselves go up 13-10 in the third set thanks to three straight errors from the Bulldogs.
• LR went up 19-17 on another Aeschliman kill.
• Wingate closed on an 8-2 run to win the SAC Championship.
• Brooke Aeschliman led with 10 kills, while Ella Scott notched 17 assists.
• Hadley Prince was tops with 17 digs. 

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• Wingate has now won 20 straight games.
• This was head coach Nicole Barringer's first trip to the SAC Championship game.
• Aeschliman notched back-to-back double digit kills for the first time all season.
• Kayli Cleaver and Brooke Aeschliman were named to the SAC All-Tournament Team.

UP NEXT: The Bears will learn their NCAA Tournament fate on Monday night at 7:30 p.m. Sitting at eighth in the region prior to their wins over Tusculum and Anderson, the Bears hav a strong shot at making the playoffs. Should they go, this would mark the seventh NCAA Tournament appearance in school history, and just the second time it has been done in back-to-back years.