HICKORY, N.C. - The Anderson University volleyball team was unable to pull off its second upset in as many days, as 12th-ranked and top-seeded Wingate swept the Trojans, 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-18) in the finals of the South Atlantic Conference Championship, hosted by Lenoir-Rhyne Sunday afternoon Shuford Gymnasium.

"I am very proud of our efforts this weekend," said Anderson head coach Craig Mosqueda. "I think our tanks were on empty after our emotional five-set thriller last night, but we showed tremendous effort and we were competitive today. Now, we will wait to see our potential seed in the tournament."

Anderson, winners of three straight entering the championship matchup, slipped to 25-8 on the season, while Wingate improved to 31-2 with its ninth consecutive SAC Tournament title and 11th overall. With the win, Wingate earned the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Southeast Regional.

Sunday's contest marked the second consecutive year that the conference championship featured the Trojans and Bulldogs, with Wingate outhitting AU, .289 to .115 on the afternoon.

Senior middle blocker Hailey Pittman paced the Trojans with eight kills and added three total blocks, while senior outside hitter Shannon Gillespie and freshman Kendall Vallancourt each posted seven kills on the afternoon, with Gillespie also coming up with seven digs. Vallancourt chipped in a pair of blocks in the setback. Sophomore Priscilla Irizarry handed out 20 assists and recorded 22 digs for her 17th double-double of the season, with senior Alix Hooker registering 16 digs on the day.

Wingate saw three players reach double-figure kills, with junior Shelly Stumpff leading the way with 17. Senior Susie Murach and sophomore Abby Saehler posted 11 kills apiece. Senior Alison Cooke dished out a match-best 43 assists and recorded 14 digs for a double-double, while freshman Kori Adams notched 26 digs on the day.

The Trojans started slowly, hitting just .108 in the opening set. Wingate edged out to a 9-4 lead and expanded the advantage to eight soon thereafter. AU trimmed the deficit to six on five occasions, but was unable to climb any closer, with the Bulldogs taking the seven-point set victory.

After falling behind 3-1 early in the second frame, the Trojans reeled off four unanswered points to force a Wingate timeout. Pittman sparked the run with a kill, with Gillespie capping the surge with back-to-back kills. The set featured 10 ties, with neither team able to gain more than a three-point advantage until Wingate used a 6-1 spurt to gain a late 20-14 lead. Trailing by the six-point margin, the Trojans battled back within four twice. But each time AU closed the gap, the Bulldogs countered with scores and claimed the six-point win.

The Trojans committed seven attack errors in the third set, while Wingate posted a .267 hitting percentage. The Bulldogs methodically pushed out to a 16-9 advantage, but despite the miscues, Anderson rallied back within 18-15 behind a 6-2 run. AU freshman Serena Jackson started the rally with one of her two kills on the afternoon, while Vallancourt and Pittman each tallied a block and a kill during the surge with Gillespie finishing with a kill. After the 'Dogs reclaimed a five-point lead, Irizarry knocked down back-to-back kills to bring the Trojans within 20-17 before Wingate claimed the match with a 5-1 run.

The Trojans await their NCAA postseason fate as a potential at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament, which will be revealed tonight night at www.ncaa.com. The NCAA Championship Selection Show is scheduled for 10 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.

At the conclusion of the three-day tourney, Hooker and Irizarry were named to the All-Tournament Team. Hooker recorded 45 digs in three matches for a 4.09 digs per set average, while Irizarry averaged 10.36 assists and 4.36 digs per set on the weekend.

All-Tournament Team
Lenoir-Rhyne Haley Rhyne Sr. Outside Hitter
Carson-Newman Jenna Wilson Sr. Middle Blocker
Anderson Alix Hooker Sr. Libero
Anderson Priscilla Irizarry R-So. Setter
Wingate Abby Saehler So. Middle Bocker
Wingate Shelly Stumpff Jr. Outside Hitter
Most Valuable Player
Wingate Alison Cooke R-Sr. Setter