Stevens Point, Wis. – The Wheaton volleyball team opened its participation in the WIAC/CCIW Crossover event on Friday afternoon. The two-day event, hosted by UW-Stevens Point will conclude on Saturday for the Thunder with matches against UW-Stout and UW-Stevens Point.
The Thunder faced UW-La Crosse on Friday afternoon to open the event. The Eagles rallied to defeat the Thunder 3-2. Wheaton won the first set 25-20 and followed with a 25-23 win in the second set. UW-La Crosse was a 25-16 winner in the third set and the Eagles tied the match score at 2-2 with a 25-20 victory in the fourth set. La Crosse scored the final five points of the match to rally from a 12-10 deficit and win the decisive fifth set 15-12.
Caroline Capps led the Thunder with nine kills, while
Faith Bailey and
Jordan Benford each added eight kills.
Emerson Traweek tallied seven kills and
Naomi Bunker had five kills.
Davis Whitehead distributed 19 assists and
Lacey Higgins had 16 assists.
Libero
Allie High recorded 28 digs, and Capps added 12. Capps recorded three service aces for the Thunder, and
Davis Whitehead added two. Bailey and Bunker each had five total blocks.
The Thunder won the first set 25-20. The set was tied 17-17 when the Thunder tallied four-consecutive points to take a 21-17 lead. Wheaton had kills from
Abby Lawson, Bailey and Capps in the 4-0 advantage. Wheaton continued to maintain the lead to earn the 25-20 lead. Bailey had a team-high four kills in the set and Lawson added three. Whitehead and Higgins each had five assists in the set, while Capps added two service aces.
Wheaton won the second set 25-23. The set was tied 8-8 when the Thunder used a 5-1 run to take a 13-9 lead. The Eagles gradually chipped at Wheaton's lead to tie the set at 20-20. UW-La Crosse scored the next two points to take a 22-20 lead. The Eagles maintained a two-point lead over the next two serves with a 23-21 advantage. Wheaton closed out the set by winning the final four points to win the set 25-23. Benford and Traweek each had two kills to lead Wheaton in the set, and High added seven digs. Bunker had three total blocks in the set.
The Eagles won the third set 25-16. UW-La Crosse led the set 13-4 early and never looked back in winning the set by nine points.
Emerson Traweek led Wheaton with three kills in the set, and High recorded six digs.
UW-La Crosse won the fourth set 25-20. The Thunder led the set early, 7-3. However, the Eagles rallied to tie the set at 10-10. The set was tied at 17-17 when La Crosse out-scored the Thunder 4-1 to take a 21-18 lead and that was enough to pace the Eagles to the 25-20 win. Benford and Bailey each had two kills in the fourth set. High added six digs.
UW-La Crosse won the fifth set 15-12. The set was tied at 10-10 when Wheaton responded by scoring two-consecutive points, highlighted by a Whitehead service ace. The Eagles took a time out and returned to the court to score the final five points in the match. The La Crosse 5-0 run was highlighted by three kills. Bunker and Benford each had two kills and Capps added one. High had six digs in the set.
The Thunder take on UW-Stout tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. Wheaton closes out the tournament at 3:00 p.m. against the host Pointers of UW-Stevens Point.
