By Thomas Foor
Contributing Writer
Entering this week’s South Atlantic Conference Tournament in Rock Hill, S.C., the Wingate volleyball team has momentum and is taking a three-game winning streak into the Rock Hill Events Center Nov. 10-12. The 17-11 Bulldogs put together three big SAC wins to end the regular season—over Carson-Newman, Tusculum and Mars Hill—to finish fourth in the league with a 13-9 record and earn the tournament’s No. 4 seed.
Prior to that late-season streak, Wingate had been inconsistent. On Oct. 24, the Bulldogs survived a scare against Emory & Henry, having to go to five sets to beat a Wasps team that hasn’t beaten a Division II opponent all season. Using that as a wake-up call, team has responded in a big way since.
There are a couple of players who have stepped up their games during the second half of the season, providing Wingate with an unexpected boost:
Vittoria Leggiero has only played in 14 of Wingate’s 26 matches, but the freshman middle blocker from Houston has come out of nowhere and has hit .252 with eight kills in her last two appearances. Leggiero looks to provide more depth in the middle of the court and will likely challenge for more playing time heading into her sophomore season.
Addie Rossum is gaining more and more notice for her offense. The sophomore setter from Alexandria, Minn., is more known for being one of the top passers in the league, but Rossum has evolved into a threat on the offensive side. Rossum posted a career-high 10 kills against Carson-Newman on Oct. 31, hitting .556.
While Wingate hasn’t played the most aesthetically pleasing volleyball over the course of the season, the Bulldogs can still be a dangerous team when they are playing at their best.
“I think the team feels the best they have right now,” said head coach Molly Lambillotte. “We’re just trying to take it one match at a time and worry about the conference tournament when we get there.”
