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Indianapolis, Ind.----The field has been announced for the 2013 NCAA Division II volleyball tournament and the ninth-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs are the number one seed in the NCAA Southeast Region. The Bulldogs will host the NCAA Southeast Regional Tournament for the fifth time in six years. Wingate enters the tournament 29-2 overall after going 22-0 in the SAC. The Bulldogs won the regular season SAC title for the eight consecutive year ,while also winning their eight straight SAC Tournament championship.
The defending regional champion Bulldogs will face eighth-seeded Belmont Abbey in the first round of the tournament. The Crusaders won the Conference Carolinas Tournament this past weekend after sharing the regular season conference title. The 17th-ranked Armstrong Atlantic Pirates are the number two seed. Armstrong won the Peach Belt regular season and tournament titles this season. The Pirates will face seventh-seeded Newberry in the opening round. The number three seed is 2011 regional champion Flagler, who will face sixth-seeded Queens. Tusculum is the number four seed. The 2012 regional runner-up will face fifth-seeded Anderson in a rematch of the SAC Tournament semifinals this past Saturday, which the Trojans won in five sets.
The regionals will take place in Cuddy Arena on the campus of Wingate University. The three-day event will begin Thursday, Dec. 5. The regional semifinals will take place on Friday, Dec. 6, with the regional title match on Saturday, Dec. 7. Match times will be announced later this week. Wingate will provide
Free HD video for every contest, along with
live stats.
"Our team is excited that we have earned the top seed and will be hosting the NCAA Regionals," head coach Shelton Collier says. "It has been a very entertaining event on the Wingate campus in past years, and our players and fans certainly will be very appreciative of the opportunity to play it here on our home court. It is great for our league that we once again have five teams included in the field. Last year, three of the four teams in the regional semifinals were SAC teams, and this year, our conference is stronger than ever from top to bottom. It will definitely be a very competitive event, and we are looking forward to taking a run at another  regional championship."
Wingate wrapped up its fifth undefeated SAC season since 2007 with a 3-1 victory over Mars Hill on Nov. 16. The Bulldogs followed by winning their eighth straight SAC Tournament championship this past weekend, dropping only one set in the three matches. The 'Dogs defeated Newberry 3-1 on Friday, while sweeping Queens Saturday to advance to their ninth consecutive SAC championship match. Wingate swept Anderson on Sunday to claim the program's 16th SAC title in eight years.
The Bulldogs are a combined 11-0 against the other teams in the regional tournament. Wingate is the only team in without a region loss this season. Wingate has a SAC record 11 NCAA Tournament victories all-time. The Bulldogs have more NCAA Tournament wins than the rest of the conference schools combined.
Wingate earns an NCAA Tournament bid for a SAC-record ninth consecutive year. The Bulldogs have won at least one tournament contest in each of the past five years, while advancing to the regional championship match four consecutive seasons. Wingate won its first-ever regional title in 2010, becoming the first team in SAC history to advance to the Elite Eight. The Bulldogs won their second regional title in 2012, sweeping all three matches in the regional tournament in Savannah, Ga.
The Bulldogs are led by back-to-back SAC Player of the Year
Anna Hilton (Hickory, N.C.). The 2012 AVCA All-American became the first player in SAC history to earn league Player of the Year honors and Tournament MVP honors in back-to-back seasons. Hilton ranks in the top 12 in the SAC with 0.89 blocks per set (2nd), a .346 hitting percentage (3rd), 3.45 kills per set (6th) and 3.41 digs per set (12th).
Junior middle blocker
Lexi Potter (North Liberty, Iowa) earned first team All-SAC honors for the second straight year. The 2012 All-Region selection leads the league in hitting percentage for the third straight year, ranking seventh nationally with a .377 hitting percentage. She is also third in the conference with 0.88 blocks per set. Second team All-SAC selection Allison Rickher (Matthews, N.C.) leads the league and ranks 31st nationally with 1.12 blocks per set, ranking second in the SAC and 18th in the nation with a .360 hitting percentage.
Junior outside hitter
Susie Murach (Burke, Va.) earned second team All-SAC honors. She is averaging 2.35 kills and 2.03 digs per set. Sophomore
Shelly Stumpff (Iowa City, Iowa) is third on the team with 2.36 kills per set, adding 2.18 digs per set and a team-best 44 aces. Redshirt junior setter
Alison Cooke (Davidson, N.C.) earned first team All-SAC accolades to go along with All-SAC Tournament honors. She is fourth in the league with 9.40 assists per set, adding 2.36 digs and 0.48 blocks per set. Junior libero
Stephanie Tassone (Chicago, Ill.) is seventh in the SAC with 4.47 digs per set. The Bulldogs lead the league in hitting percentage, kills per set, assists per set and blocks per set.
2013 NCAA Southeast Regional Tournament
at Wingate University (Cuddy Arena)
#1 Wingate vs. #8 Belmont Abbey
#2 Armstrong Atlantic vs. #7 Newberry
#3 Flagler vs. #6 Queens
#4 Tusculum vs. #5 Anderson
