Wheaton, Ill. -- In their second home match of three this week, Wheaton volleyball hosted the Spartans of Dubuque in a non-conference clash, and the Thunder overwhelmed their opponents down the stretch to claim a 3-1 victory. With this win, Wheaton improves to 9-7 overall and 5-3 in King Arena.

After a back-and-forth opening, the first set proved to be a relatively straightforward one for the hosts, as Wheaton went on a six-point run to open up an 11-5 lead over Dubuque and never looked back. The visitors failed to get within five points down the stretch, and Wheaton sailed to a 25-12 win. Freshman Caroline Capps had a standout performance in set #1, registering four kills and two blocks to help the Thunder build their early advantage. Colleen Smith also played a key role, going 5 for 8 on attacks, good for a notable .625 hitting percentage.

But the hosts' early momentum was stifled by a powerful Dubuque response in the second set. The Spartans came flying out of the gate to claim five of the first six points, and this early setback proved too large for Wheaton to erase. The Thunder did mount an impressive charge in the middle of the game to cut their opponent's lead to a single point, but Dubuque quickly regrouped and kept Wheaton at arm's length for the remainder of the set. The final score was 25-21, and it looked as though Wheaton might be headed for another five-setter on their home floor.

The third set was always going to be a pivotal one, and the Thunder outperformed their guests to ensure that the momentum returned to their sideline. Wheaton actually fell behind 4-1 once again at the start of the set, but from that point on, the team flipped a switch and pulled away from Dubuque. The hosts proceeded to win nine of the next twelve points, and staved off a mini-comeback in the middle of the set to win 25-17. Another freshman, Ashton Major, led the way for the Thunder in the third set, earning five kills and hitting .444 from the floor, as well as picking up a service ace. Smith matched this percentage and added a few important digs. Marlee Anderson contributed two digs herself, as well as a team-high eight assists in the set.

The fourth and final set was a mirror image of the first, with early competitiveness giving way to a late Wheaton surge to claim the victory. Dubuque fought back from an initial three-point deficit to tie the game at 9-9, but Wheaton turned right around and claimed 16 of the next 20 points to close out the match in comprehensive fashion. Colleen Smith had a remarkable fourth set, going seven for eight on attacks and adding two digs. Major went 2 for 2 and came up with a service ace late in the set to solidify Wheaton's lead. 

The headline statistic of the night belongs to Colleen Smith, who set a new career-high mark of 19 kills and did not make a single attack error through all four sets. She finished the match with an impressive .528 hitting percentage and added nine digs for good measure. Ashton Major also had a performance to remember, hitting .529 from the floor with ten kills, two service aces, and two block assists. Senior Audrey Gerze contributed twelve kills and five digs. Allie High once again led the way for the Thunder in the digs category, picking up 26 on the night. Mia Staub and Marlee Anderson registered 25 and 24 assists, respectively.

Next up for Wheaton volleyball is an immediate turnaround to face North Central in a CCIW showdown in King Arena at 2 pm on Saturday.