WINGATE, N.C. - The Wingate Bulldogs clinched their 10gth straight South Atlantic Conference regular-season championship by defeating the Anderson volleyball team, 3-0 (25-16, 25-19, 30-28) in the regular-season finale Saturday afternoon at Cuddy Arena.

Wingate, which clinched at least a share of the conference title less than 24 hours earlier with a win over Newberry, will be the top seed in the South Atlantic Conference Championship, which will be hosted by Anderson, Nov. 20-22 at the Abney Athletic Center.

Despite the setback, the Trojans will be the seventh seed and will square off against No. 2 seed Carson-Newman, Friday at 5 p.m. Anderson wrapped up the regular season with an overall 11-17 mark, including a 9-13 record in the SAC, while Wingate (26-3, 20-2 SAC) won its 19th decision in 20 outings.

Juniors Priscilla Irizarry and Tinsley Hallman led the Trojan attack with seven kills apiece, with Irizarry not committing an error in 10 attempts for an impressive .700 attacking accuracy. The native of Lares, Puerto Rico also handed out 26 assists. Hallman and sophomore Marissa Mitter each added 10 digs, while freshman Emily Conard shared match-high honors with 17 digs.

Wingate opened the first set by building a 10-5 lead, while the Trojans stayed close and trimmed the Bulldog cushion to just 15-12 on an error by the Bulldogs. But Wingate maintained the lead and steadily pushed out to the final nine-point win, as the Bulldogs hit .378 in the frame.

The Bulldogs were even more accurate in the second frame, recording a .455 hitting percentage. But it was the Trojans that got off to a fast start, as AU claimed a 7-4 lead on one of Jessica Harris' five kills on the day. The Trojans still led, 10-8, following a kill from Mitter, but Wingate countered with a 10-4 run to take an 18-14 advantage. A service ace from Conard later trimmed the Bulldog lead to just 19-17, but AU could get no closer the rest of the way as Wingate took the win on the strength of a 6-2 surge.

The third set featured 14 ties and 10 lead changes before Wingate outlasted the Trojans for the sweep. After the Bulldogs opened a 14-11 edge on a Trojan miscue, AU responded with four unanswered points to capture its first lead of the set, with Mitter capping the rally with an ace. Following a 4-1 burst that saw Wingate regain an 18-16 advantage, Irizarry sparked a 5-1 run by AU to give the visitors a two-point, 21-19, edge. Neither team managed more than a one-point lead the rest of the way until the final score.

2015 SAC VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Friday, Nov. 20 (at Anderson University)
Game 1: #1 Wingate vs. #8 Brevard, 12:00pm
Game 2: #4 Lincoln Memorial vs. #5 Catawba, 2:30pm
Game 3: #2 Carson-Newman vs. #7 Anderson, 5:00pm
Game 4: #3 Lenoir-Rhyne vs. #6 Queens, 7:30pm

Saturday, Nov. 21 (at Anderson University)
Game 5: winner game 1 vs. winner game 2, 1:30pm
Game 6: winner game 3 vs. winner game 4, 4:00pm

Sunday, Nov. 22 (at Anderson University)
Game 7: winner game 5 vs. winner game 6, 2:00pm