GAME STATS PICTURED ABOVE: Shelby Knowles (LEFT) led the Thunder with 21 kills and 23 digs, while Ashley Torok (RIGHT) distibuted 26 assists.

Lisle, Ill. – The Wheaton volleyball team (3-6) overcame a 0-2 deficit at Benedictine University (2-9) on Thursday night to rally for a 3-2 win against the Eagles. Benedictine earned 25-16 and 25-13 wins in the first two sets. Wheaton picked up a 25-21 victory in a hard-fought third set and the Thunder won the fourth set 27-25. The Thunder closed out the win with a 15-12 victory in the decisive fifth set.
 
Sophomore Shelby Knowles continued her strong play with 21 kills on the night and she added a team-best 23 digs. Andy DeMoss (PICTURED LEFT) contributed nine kills and freshman Hannah Japp recorded eight kills. Sophomore setter Ashley Torok distributed 26 assists with three service aces and 17 digs. Kelli Manning collected 18 digs and Lauren Wilhite recorded 10 digs. Freshman Alley Lindner had 11 assists, with 10 digs and three service aces.
 
In the first set, Benedictine broke a 7-7 tie with eight consecutive points to take a 15-7 lead. Wheaton then countered with seven straight points to cut the hosts' lead to 15-14.  The Eagles out-scored the Thunder 10-2 to close out the set with the 25-16 victory. DeMoss tallied four kills and Torok contributed three service aces in the set.
 
The Eagles led the guests 11-10 in the second set when Benedictine put together a convincing run of 14-3 to earn the 25-13 win. Knowles posted five kills and Torok distributed nine assists.
 
The two teams battled back-and-forth in the third set as the score was tied on 15 occasions with nine lead changes. The set was tied 19-19 when the Eagles tallied two consecutive points to take a 21-19 lead, just four points away from winning the match. Wheaton would not be denied however, as the Thunder scored the final six points of the set to earn the 25-21 win and send the match to a fourth set. Knowles was credited with two kills in the final four points to help Wheaton keep the match alive. Knowles tallied four kills with nine digs in the third set and Torok had six assists.
 
Wheaton led the fourth set 16-11, however, the Eagles slowly rallied to take a 20-19 lead. From that point neither team had a lead larger than one point as the score was tied 25-25. Wheaton utilized Benedictine mistakes to score the final two points of the set for a 27-25 win to go to a fifth and final set. Knowles posted four kills in the fourth set and Hannah Japp and Brittany Creel each tallied three kills. Lindner had three service aces in the set and Knowles tallied six digs.
 
The fifth set was tightly contested with nine ties. The final tie of the set and of the match was a 12-12 when a kill by Knowles gave the Thunder a 13-12 lead. A block by Emily Potts and Brooke Haskins increased the Thunder lead to 14-12 and DeMoss secured the win with an ace on the final point to give Wheaton the 15-12 win.