Mars Hill falls to No. 23 Wingate on road

WINGATE, N.C. - The Mars Hill volleyball team (6-6, 5-4 SAC) was defeated in straight sets to the No. 23 ranked Wingate Bulldogs (15-0, 8-0 SAC) Friday evening.

The first set saw the Lions leading until midway through the frame when the Bulldogs went on an 8-0 run where Marianna Warren recorded two kills to take a 16-8 lead.  Wingate improved their lead to as many as nine points late in the stanza and were able to close out Mars Hill 25-17 to go up one set.

The second set was a tight affair throughout.  The Lions held a 17-15 lead after Sally Anne Johnson's ace.  A Bulldog timeout was met with a 3-0 run to take the 18-17 lead late in the second.  Trading points until 21-all, the Bulldogs reeled off three straight points to earn three set points.  A kill from Lynnlee Mather on their second set point put Wingate up by two.

Tied at 12 in the third set, Wingate took the following three points to take their final lead of the contest.  A 5-0 run later in the set provided the Bulldogs a cushion as they went on to win their 15th game of the season and remain undefeated.

The Bulldogs have won 47 straight matches inside Cuddy Arena, the longest home winning streak across all NCAA divisions.

Johnson hit .421 on the night, recording a team-high eight kills.  Lauren Phillips led the team with 15 digs and added five kills.  Jordan Schmucker had 12 assists while Sara Pasour added 11 on the night.

Mars Hill returns to action on Saturday, October 5 when they take on Coker to conclude their weekend roadtrip.  First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m.