NEWBERRY — The Newberry College Wolves volleyball team (8-5 (3-3 SAC)) fell to South Atlantic Conference (SAC) opponent Wingate (10-2 (6-2 SAC)) 3-1 on Oct. 2 at Eleazer Arena.
Wingate went on a 6-1 run to take control of the first set before a kill from Natasha Bannister stopped the bleeding, but the Bulldogs still maintained their momentum, extending their lead to as large as 22-13. Newberry attempted to rally with a 4-0 run of their own, but it was not enough as Wingate took the set 25-17.
The Wolves started the second set with a 7-0 burst, capped off with a kill from Taylor Hall. The Bulldogs then went on a 9-2 run of their own to get back into the set. The Wolves weathered the storm with kills from Hall and Zoe Dinkins to ensure that they did not give up their lead. Wingate attempted to rally again with a late 4-0 run, but the Wolves ended the set with kills from Dinkins and Margaret McMahon, claiming it by a score of 25-22.
After a slow start to the third set that featured kills from Elizabeth Ober, Hall and Dinkins, the Bulldogs seized back control with back-to-back runs of 5-1 and 6-0, respectively, separated by kills from Bannister and Avery Webb. After a kill from McMahon, Wingate went on another 6-0 run to take a 14-point advantage, their largest of the match. The Bulldogs took the set 25-15.
Newberry started the fourth set up 3-0, but the Bulldogs used a 7-1 run to take a 7-4 lead. Wingate led by as many as five points, but a series of Bulldog errors and a Webb service ace brought the Wolves right back into the set. Neither team would build a lead any larger than three points for the remainder of the set as both teams battled. A 4-0 Newberry run handed the Wolves a small lead, but it would not last long. Despite a valiant effort, Wingate went on to take the fourth set 25-23 and the match 3-1.
The Wolves’ attack was led by Bannister and Dinkins who had 10 kills each. Bannister would also add 11 digs for the double-double while Dinkins tacked on five total blocks, two of which were solo. Webb finished with a double-double of her own with 32 assists and 16 digs. Amanda Berecz led the team with 17 digs, and Katie Ullsperger had 11 digs of her own to go along with a pair of service aces.