Arden Hills, Minn. – The Wheaton volleyball team (1-3) closed out its participation in the Bethel Invitational on Saturday with a pair of matches. Nebraska Wesleyan defeated Wheaton 3-2 (25-17, 25-15, 24-26 23-25, 15-10) on Saturday morning. In the final session of the day,
12th-ranked Bethel topped Wheaton, 3-1 (25-19, 24-26, 25-17, 25-20).
Freshman
Madeline Moore registered a team-high 18 kills against Nebraska Wesleyan and
Meghan Lacey tallied 17 kills.
Shelby Knowles (PICTURED ABOVE) recorded 10 kills and
Emily Potts had six.
Jessica Bosse led the Thunder with 25 digs, Lacey added 21 digs and Knowles recorded 16 digs. Potts had 11 assisted blocks and
Sara Reiskytl had five.
Kelly Thornton distributed 31 assists and
Ashley Torok had 22 assists. Torok and Thornton each registered two service aces.
In the final matchup of the weekend, Knowles led the Thunder with 19 kills and Lacey registered 13 kills and
Katie Rohrer had six kills. Potts had five assisted blocks and
Jackie Boulris recorded two service aces. Torok had 21 assists for the Thunder and Thornton added 20 assists.
Head coach
Brittany Smith noted of her team's effort on Saturday, "I'm incredibly proud of the way the team played today. The execution of our system of play was outstanding. Players stepped up to the challenge of a faster tempo and more aggressive swings." Smith concluded, "As our young team develops more consistency and trust, we know our play will only elevate. This is a great start for Wheaton volleyball."
The Thunder will be in action on Tuesday in a tri-match at Edgewood that will also include UW-Oshkosh.
