NEWBERRY, S.C. - Top-seeded and nationally ninth-ranked Wingate topped No. 6 seed Anderson, 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-18) to claim the 2013 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament Championship Sunday afternoon at Newberry College's Eleazer Arena.

Anderson (18-14), winners of four straight, was unable to register its third upset in as many days, while Wingate improved to 29-2 with its eighth consecutive SAC Tournament title and 10th overall. The Bulldogs have now won 24 consecutive SAC Tournament matches and 26 straight contests this season.

"This has been a great weekend for Anderson University volleyball," said Anderson head coach Craig Mosqueda. "As a team we have matured into a championship level team. We had many players step up and contribute, including Alix Hooker who had a great weekend and Priscilla Irizarry who gave provided much-needed offense this weekend."

Anderson jumped out to an early 8-4 advantage in the opening set, as junior setter Meghan Cautero, junior outside hitter Shannon Gillespie and fellow First-Team All-SAC selection Hailey Pittman all tallied a pair of kills in the opening moments. But Wingate countered with four unanswered points to take its first lead and turned the early run into a 13-4 outburst to equal its largest lead of the frame, at 17-12. AU then answered with a 6-1 surge to even the score at 18-18, but was unable to overtake Wingate, as the Bulldogs quickly regained the edge and snapped a 22-22 tie with three of the final four points.

Wingate opened a 7-3 lead in the second set and maintained the advantage throughout the remainder of the frame. The Trojans climbed within 18-15 as freshman Jessica Harris recorded one of her three kills on the day, but AU would get no closer, as Wingate rebuilt a seven-point lead.

The Bulldogs also garnered an early advantage in the third and final set, pushing out to an 11-3 cushion. The Trojans rallied back within three on four occasions - the final time at 16-13 - but Wingate again held off the AU comeback by scoring three unanswered points.

Anderson redshirt freshman Priscilla Irizarry led all players with 14 kills and added 13 digs for her second straight double-double and fourth of the season. Irizarry committed just two errors in 29 attempts for a team-high .414 attack percentage. Gillespie fell just shy of her 24th double-double of the season, recording 10 digs and eight kills. Pittman notched seven kills and a pair of block assists. Cautero finished with 26 assists, while junior Alix Hooker recorded a match-best 19 digs. Harris also posted four block assists on the day.

Two-time SAC Player of the Year Anna Hilton led a balanced Bulldog attack with 12 kills.

"From the beginning we were not expected to be here and we were a contender all year," added Mosqueda. "We are excited about the selection show on Monday as we are hoping for an opportunity to compete in the NCAA tournament."

The Trojans await their NCAA postseason fate as a potential at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament, which will be revealed Monday night at www.ncaa.com. The NCAA Championship Selection Show is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Eight teams from each of the eight regions will advance to the NCAA Division II tournament. In the Southeast Region, the tournament champions from the SAC, Peach Belt, and Conference Carolinas will receive an automatic bid, with five more at-large selections.

Hooker and Irizarry were named to the SAC All-Tournament Team at the conclusion of the tournament, as Hooker recorded 70 digs over the three-match span, averaging 6.36 digs per set. The native of Plant City, Fla. also ripped five service aces at critical junctures of the tourney. Irizarry tallied 33 kills, 31 digs, eight blocks and six assists to help lead the Trojans to their first SAC Tournament Championship appearance since joining the league in 2010.

All-Tournament Team
Caitlyn Dean- Tusculum
Brittney Barren- Queens
Alix Hooker- Anderson
Priscilla Irizarry- Anderson
Allison Rickher- Wingate
Alison Cooke- Wingate
MVP: Anna Hilton