GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — The Tusculum University women’s volleyball team collected its fifth-straight victory on Saturday (Oct. 3) afternoon, overcoming perennial powerhouse Wingate in five sets.
This marks the first time that TU has beaten Wingate since 2023. It is also the first time since 2021 that Tusculum has defended Pioneer Arena versus the Bulldogs.
The Pioneers (10-5, 7-4 SAC) came from behind to defeat the Bulldogs (11-5, 7-4 SAC) by scores of 25-19, 18-25, 20-25, 25-17, 15-8.
Wingate was led by 15 kills from Lillian Edwards, while Addie Rossum dished out 44 assists. Jordan Griffin landed three service aces for the Bulldogs as Edwards also headed up the digs column with 16. At the net, Carson Reeves was credited with five total blocks.
Four Pioneers reached double-digits in kills: Addison McLarty (16), Maggie Szlachcic (15), Karris Oller (12), and Mackenzie Land (10). Jordan Moore and Gracie Hibdon finished with four and one kill, respectively. Hibdon accounted for 48 assists, while both Mary Katherine Hall and Addison Winton tallied three aces. Another four Pioneers registered double figures in digs: Hibdon (17), Land (16), Hall (15), and Maggie Kane (13). At the net, Moore recorded four rejections.
Wingate hit .170 as a team with 52 kills and 25 errors on 159 total attempts. Tusculum hit .189 with 58 kills, 26 errors, and 169 total attacks. The Pioneers led the match in assists (57-49), service aces (9-6), and digs (72-67), while the Bulldogs tallied more total blocks (9-7).
Tusculum controlled the opening set, hitting .324 with 14 kills while limiting Wingate to a .125 attack percentage. Szlachcic led the Pioneers with four kills in the frame, while McLarty and Oller also provided key offense. TU built a 13-5 advantage midway through the set and held off a late Wingate push to take the opener, 25-19.
Wingate answered emphatically in the second set. The Bulldogs used a strong offensive performance and several runs to take control, eventually opening a 22-15 lead before closing out the set, 25-18. Wingate hit .342 in the set.
The third set remained competitive early before Wingate pulled away. Tusculum led 8-7, but the Bulldogs responded with a decisive stretch that pushed them ahead. Wingate reached set point at 24-17 and the Pioneers fought off several opportunities before Wingate finished the set, 25-20.
Facing a must-win fourth set, Tusculum responded with one of its strongest serving performances of the afternoon. The Pioneers broke open a close set with a four-point run featuring three service aces from Hall, taking a 9-5 lead. TU maintained control from there, extending the advantage to 17-11 and eventually forcing a deciding fifth set with a 25-17 victory.
The decisive fifth set started with Wingate taking a 2-0 lead, but Tusculum quickly responded. The Pioneers had the set tied at 4-4 and used an 8-1 stretch to bring the score to 12-5. Wingate called timeout twice during the surge, but TU continued to apply pressure. Szlachcic delivered the final point for the 15-8 victory.
Tusculum hosts in-state rivals Carson-Newman (Oct. 9) and Lincoln Memorial (Oct. 10) next week.
