ANDERSON, S.C. - The Anderson University volleyball team opened a three-match homestand with a 3-0 (14-25, 14-25, 22-25) setback to 10th-ranked and defending South Atlantic Conference champion Wingate, Friday night at the Abney Athletic Center.

Anderson (9-3, 3-2 SAC) dropped just its second decision in the last seven matches, while suffering its first shutout of the season. Wingate (12-1, 5-0 SAC), playing its first conference road contest of the season, stretched its win streak to six - all shutouts - and has won 42 consecutive SAC matches.

The Trojans posted their lowest hitting percentage of the season (.082), while Wingate countered by hitting .298 on the night.

Senior outside hitter Shannon Gillespie led AU with 11 kills and added five digs. Senior middle blocker Hailey Pittman and freshman Kendall Vallancourt each added five kills on the night. Senior libero Alix Hooker tallied a team-high 12 digs, while sophomore Priscilla Irizarry notched her sixth double-double of the season with 17 assists and 10 digs.

With the first set knotted at 4-4, Irizarry and sophomore Jessica Harris combined for a block to give the Trojans their first lead of the contest. But the Bulldogs countered with five unanswered points as part of an overall 11-3 run to break the frame open. Wingate steadily built a double-digit, 20-10, lead and went on to the set victory.

The Bulldogs scored the first three points of the second set and edged out to an early 6-1 advantage. AU stayed close and trailed just 11-8 before Wingate gained a double-digit, 21-10, lead on the strength of a 10-2 surge.

Wingate took a quick five-point advantage in the third frame and opened an eight-point lead on three occasions, but the Trojans refused to surrender. Trailing, 20-12, AU took advantage of back-to-back attack errors by the Bulldogs to spark a 9-3 outburst and climbed back within 23-21, with Gillespie knocking down a pair of kills. The Bulldogs' Shelly Stumpff and Gillespie traded kills to keep AU's deficit at two, but WU's Lexi Potter finished the set with her match-high 14th kill of the night to claim the match.

Anderson has little time to rest, as the Trojans will look to get back in the win column on Saturday, with SAC-opponent Coker and Peach Belt Conference-foe GRU Augusta invading the Abney Center for a tri-match starting at noon.