Jefferson City, Tenn.---- The Carson-Newman Lady Eagles saw a six-point lead late in the third set slip away, en route to falling to visiting 19th-ranked Wingate University, 3-1 on Friday night in Jefferson City.
Wingate pushed its league-record SAC winning streak to 65 matches in the conference opener for both teams. Wingate won by scores of 25-10, 20-25, 25-23 and 25-13 to improve to 5-0 overall and 1-0 in the SAC. The Eagles fall to 3-2 overall and 0-1 in the conference.
Nikki James had eight kills and 10 blocks to lead the Carson-Newman attack. Lauren Santarelli added seven kills and 11 digs for the Eagles. Kristen Pickett handed out 13 assists, while Angelle Hayes notched 22 digs.
James controlled the second and beginning of the third set at the net, putting the Lady Eagles in position to grab a 2-1 lead in the match with nine early blocks, but Wingate answered with a late surge in to grab the win and a 2-1 lead.
Redshirt sophomore middle blocker Anna Hilton (Hickory, N.C.) had 16 kills, 14 digs and three blocks, hitting .364 for the night to lead the Wingate attack. Junior middle blocker Grace Krauser (Louisville, Ky.) added 13 kills and four blocks, hitting .458. Sophomore outside hitter Cory McGowan (Pittsburgh, Pa.) added 11 kills and five digs. Senior setter Liz Willis (Raleigh, N.C.) had 50 assists and 22 digs for the Bulldogs, while senior libero Maggie Malone (Chicago, Ill.) added 16 digs.
The Bulldogs used an 8-0 run to break open the first set. Willis got it started with a kill, while freshman middle blocker Lexi Potter (North Liberty, Iowa) followed with a pair of blocks. McGowan added a kill, while freshman outside hitter Susie Murach (Burke, Va.) capped it with an ace. The Eagles would get no closer than nine the rest of the way, with freshman middle blocker Kelsey Handel (Knoxville, Tenn.) finishing the set with a kill. Wingate hit .379 in the first frame, while Carson-Newman hit -.071.
The Eagles took a 12-9 lead in the second set on a block from James. The 'Dogs battled back to tie it at 12 on a Hilton kill. A Murach kill gave Wingate a 17-16 lead. The Eagles answered with the next four points, starting with a kill from James. She added a pair of blocks to put Carson-Newman on top 21-17. Wingate cut the deficit to two, but another block from James, followed by a kill from Carly Swisher gave Carson-Newman a 24-19 lead. James capped the frame with another block, tying the match.
A kill from James gave the Eagles a 13-9 lead in the third set. A Krauser kill cut the deficit to three at 16-13, but a pair of Wingate errors made it 18-13. James added another kill to give the Eagles a 21-15 advantage.
The Bulldogs had the emphatic answer, scoring the next seven points to take a 22-21 lead. McGowan and Hilton started the spurt with kills, while a kill from Handel made it 21-19. Murach slammed home a kill to tie it at 21, while a McGowan kill put Wingate on top by one. The Eagles fought back, tying the set at 23 on a Wingate error. Hilton answered with a kill, while a Murach kill capped the exciting third set and gave the 'Dogs a 2-1 advantage.
Wingate used a 6-0 run to take an 11-4 lead in the fourth set. Hilton started the flurry with a kill, while Krauser and Murach capped it with a block. A Krauser kill and Murach ace pushed the lead to 14-5. McGowan added a pair of kills to help push the lead to 18-7. Two more Hilton kills, along with a Carson-Newman error gave Wingate a 23-10 lead. Krauser capped the match with a kill. The Bulldogs hit .455 in the final frame, while the Eagles hit .054.
Wingate hit .182 for the match, with 61 kills and 30 errors in 170 attacks. The Eagles had 26 kills. Murach and Krauser led the Bulldogs with four blocks each, while Murach's five aces were a match high.
The Bulldogs return to action Saturday, traveling to Lincoln Memorial for a 2 p.m. start. Carson-Newman hosts Catawba at 1 p.m.
