Indianapolis, Ind.----The Wingate University Bulldogs are the number one team in the latest edition of the NCAA Division II Southeast Region volleyball rankings, released Thursday evening. The Bulldogs are 28-1 overall and ranked 23rd in the AVCA Top 25. Wingate has won 16 consecutive matches overall; the Bulldogs are 13-0 in the SAC.

Three Peach Belt Conference teams occupy the next spots in the rankings, starting with Flagler College at number two. USC Aiken is third, while defending Southeast Region champion Armstrong Atlantic State (AASU) is fourth. Three SAC schools follow, starting with Carson-Newman in the fifth position. The Eagles are followed by Lincoln Memorial and Tusculum, while Lander checks in at eighth. Montevallo is ninth in this week’s ranking, while Catawba rounds out the top 10.

The Bulldogs are 25-0 against regional opponents this season. Wingate is a combined 9-0 against the other ranked teams in the region, including a 3-2 victory over Flagler and 3-0 wins over USC Aiken and AASU. The Bulldogs have won 43 consecutive SAC matches dating back to the beginning of the 2007 season. Wingate is a perfect 5-0 against Peach Belt opponents this year. Wingate is 7-0 against opponents from the Conference Carolinas this season.

Junior middle blocker Stormi Gale (Richmond, Texas) leads the Bulldogs and the SAC with 3.64 kills and a .322 hitting percentage. Junior outside hitter Lauren Billo (Orland Park, Ill.) is second in the league with 3.44 kills per set and a .319 hitting percentage. Sophomore setter Liz Willis (Raleigh, N.C.) leads the SAC with 10.27 assists per set, while sophomore libero Maggie Malone (Chicago, Ill.) is third in the conference with 4.56 digs per set and fifth with 0.44 aces per set.

As a team, Wingate leads the SAC in kills, hitting percentage, opponents hitting percentage, assists and aces. Nationally, the Bulldogs rank in the top 15 in five categories. Wingate is fourth in assists per set and sixth in kills per set. The Bulldogs are third in the nation with a .964 winning percentage.

Wingate has won 72 of its last 74 regular season matches; the Bulldogs are 92-5 overall since the beginning of the 2007 season. The corresponding .948 winning percentage leads NCAA Division II during the same time frame. In 29 matches this season, the Bulldogs have won 86 sets, while dropping only 10. Of Wingate’s 28 victories, 23 have been won in three sets.

The Bulldogs have three regular season matches remaining this year; all three are conference home matches. Wingate hosts Newberry College Saturday at 5 p.m. The Bulldogs will host a pair of matches next weekend, starting Friday night when they host Carson-Newman at 7 p.m. Wingate wraps up the regular season Saturday, hosting Lincoln Memorial at 4 p.m. on Senior Day.

(Wingate University assistant sports information director Hugh Patton wrote this article. Patton is a 2006 Wingate graduate with a B.A. degree in Communication Studies.)

Southeast Regional Rankings

1. Wingate

2. Flagler (Fla.)

3. USC Aiken

4. Armstrong Atlantic State

5. Carson-Newman

6. Lincoln Memorial

7. Tusculum

8. Lander

9. Montevallo (Ala.)

10. Catawba