ANDERSON, S.C. – Defending South Atlantic Conference champion and preseason league favorite Wingate overcame a two-set deficit to down Anderson, 3-2, (23-25, 23-25, 25-22, 25-22, 15-12) in volleyball action, Friday night at the Abney Athletic Center.

"It was tough to lose at home but hopefully we can learn from it and improve as a team moving forward," said Anderson head coach Todd Hay. "Thanks for all the great crowd support. It was very much appreciated."

Anderson (8-5, 3-2 SAC) saw its win streak halted at two, while Wingate (9-2, 5-2 SAC) won its fourth straight outing and improved to 4-1 on the road this season.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Sophomore Sadie Kluner posted a team-high 11 kills, while adding a pair of solo blocks and a block assist, with classmate Jaelyn Grimm adding 10 kills on the strength of a .500 hitting percentage. Senior right-side hitter Regan Duty tallied nine kills, while Noelle Knutsen notched nine kills, a solo block and two block assists. Maya Learmonth chipped in eight kills.

Junior Madison Roy handed out 50 assists and notched her seventh double-double with 11 digs. Senior Meghan DeVaux recorded a career-high 29 digs, with Lindsay McCurley and Hannah Neff each adding 12 digs apiece. Junior Alexandra Petrilli finished the night with 10 digs.

Shannon Kasprak, the reigning SAC Offensive Player of the Week, dished out 56 assists for Wingate, while Bulldog middle blocker Sophie Schaff led all players with 20 kills. Teammate Maggie Young added 17 kills.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
Kluner and Duty combined for nine kills in the opening frame and behind a .341 hitting percentage, the Trojans pushed out to a quick 10-4 advantage.

AU steadily built an 18-11 lead on a kill from Knutsen, before Wingate used an 11-4 surge to rally and knot the score at 22 apiece. The Trojans regained the edge on an error by the Bulldogs and reached set point on a kill by Kluner. Schaff pulled Wingate back within one, but Kluner cinched the win with her fifth kill of the frame.

Second Set
The two teams combined for 15 attack errors in the second set, but AU rallied from a 14-10 deficit to take a 22-19 lead when Knutsen and Liliana combined on a block.

The Trojans opened a 23-20 advantage then held off the Bulldogs in the final moments, with Duty knocking down the winning kill.

Third Set
Both teams slashed their attack errors in the third frame, with Wingate snapping an 11-11 deadlock with a 7-2 scoring run.

The Trojans trimmed the deficit to just two on three occasions and climbed within just one, at 23-22, on a kill by Kluner, but following a Wingate timeout, the Bulldogs' Young knocked down back-to-back kills to hold off the Black and Gold.

Fourth Set
After Wingate jumped out to a 6-2 lead, the fourth frame was a back-and-forth battle.

After rallying to deadlock the score at 14-14, Kluner recorded a solo block, then Knutsen posted a kill and the Trojans took a 17-14 edge when the duo combined for a block.

AU still led, 20-17, before the Bulldogs scored five unanswered points to take a lead they would not surrender down the stretch and force a fifth and deciding set.

Fifth Set
Wingate broke a 5-5 deadlock with four consecutive points and held at least a three-point lead the rest of the way.

ANDERSON STAT OF THE NIGHT
Five Trojans had at least eight kills on the night.

NOTABLES
• Wingate has lost more than two South Atlantic Conference matches just twice in the past 17 seasons – in 2016 (18-4) and 2005 (11-3).
• AU has dropped six straight to the 'Dawgs after handing Wingate its' only conference loss of the 2018 season.
• Wingate leads the overall series, 29-4.
• Jaelyn Grimm has reached double-figure kills in four matches this season.
• Hannah Neff has posted double-digit digs in three straight matches.
• Lindsay McCurley has reached double-figure digs seven times this season.
• Madison Roy has dished out 40+ assists nine times this season and has notched seven double-doubles.
• Sadie Kluner has reached double-figure kills on seven occasions this season.
• Meghan Devaux has tallied double-digit digs 10 times this season.

UP NEXT
Anderson will get back on the court Saturday afternoon, when the Trojans play host to Coker at 2 p.m.