Wheaton, Ill. - The Wheaton volleyball team hosted North Park (16-10, 3-5 CCIW) on Wednesday night in the CCIW regular season finale for both teams and the final home match of the regular season for the Thunder as Wheaton honored its eight seniors for "Senior Night". The Vikings rallied from a 1-0 deficit to defeat the Thunder 3-1. Wheaton won the first set 25-21, but North Park won the second set 25-23. The Vikings earned a 25-22 victory in the third set and closed out the match with a 25-17 victory in the fourth set.

Wheaton is now 13-13 on the season and concludes the conference schedule with a 5-3 record in CCIW play. The Thunder will be the No. 4 seed in the upcoming CCIW Tournament. Wheaton will host No. 5 seed Millikin on Tuesday, November 2 at 7 p.m. in the CCIW Tournament Quarterfinal. No. 3 Elmhurst will host No. 6 seed North Park next Tuesday in the other quarterfinal of the six-team tournament. No. 1 seed Illinois Wesleyan and No. 2 seed Carthage will each host an advancing team on Thursday, November 4 in Semifinal matches. The highest remaining seed will host the Championship Match on Saturday, November 6.

Seniors Audrey Gerze and Colleen Smith each tallied nine kills tonight to lead the Thunder. Kaylee Byerly, Ashton Major, and Caroline Capps each recorded seven kills for the hosts. Briley Brogan registered six kills. Mia Staub (PICTURED AT LEFT) had 22 assists and fellow senior Marlee Anderson distributed 16 assists. Allie High had a team-high 22 digs and she added Wheaton's two service aces in the match. Byerly had five total blocks and Capps added four. 

Wheaton had strong play in winning the first set 25-21. The Thunder gained a 7-4 lead early in the set. The Vikings tied the set at 17-17. Wheaton scored two-consecutive points to break an 18-18 tie and take a 20-18 lead. The Thunder led 21-20, but out-scored the Vikings 4-1 to close out the set with the 25-21 victory. Smith had two kills in the 4-1 run. Smith, Major and Byerly each had two kills in the set. Staub had five assists and High recorded five digs.

North Park rallied to win the second set 25-23. The set was tied 10 times with two lead changes. The score was tied 8-8 and had four ties up to an 18-18 tie. Wheaton scored two points to break the 18-18 tie and take a 20-18 lead. NPU responded with the next two points to tie the set at 20-20. The set was tied 22-22 when the Vikings tallied a key kill to take a 23-22 lead. Wheaton tied the set at 23-23, but the Vikings scored the final two points to win the set 25-23. Gerze had a team-high four kills in the second set, with Smith and Brogan each adding three kills. Anderson had seven assists.

The Vikings won the third set 25-22. NPU snapped a 13-13 tie with four-consecutive points to take a 17-13 lead. Wheaton outscored the Vikings 7-2 to take a 20-19 lead. The set was tied 21-21 when NPU's Raghen Walker and Adriana Rodriguez each tallied a kill to give the guests a 23-21 lead as the Vikings emerged with the 25-22 victory in the set. Major led the Thunder with four kills in the third set and Smith added three. Staub had eight assists in the set, with High adding 11 digs.

North Park jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the fourth set and never trailed as the Vikings won the final set 25-17. Byerly had three kills in the set with Brogan, Gerze and Capps each adding two. Staub had six assists.

Wheaton travels to Milwaukee, Wisconsin this weekend to conclude its regular season schedule at Wisconsin Lutheran's "Warrior Invite". The Thunder face the host Warriors of Wisconsin Lutheran on Friday at 7:00 p.m. The Thunder take on Carroll Saturday at 10:00 a.m. and competes against MSOE at 2:00 p.m.