Stevens Point, Wis. – The Thunder volleyball team closed out the WIAC\CCIW Crossover event on Saturday with a pair of matches as Wheaton faced UW-Stout and the host, UW-Stevens Point. Wheaton rallied to defeat UW-Stout 3-2 on Saturday morning. The Thunder lost to No. 15 UW-Stevens Point 3-0 to close out the day on Saturday afternoon. Thunder sophomore
Caroline Capps was named to the all-tournament team.
On Saturday morning the Thunder defeated UW-Stout, 3-2. The Blue Devils won the first set 25-22 and Wheaton won the second set 25-21. UW-Stout was a 25-19 victor in the third set, but Wheaton tied the match at 2-2 with a 25-21 victory in the fourth set. Wheaton closed out the match with a 16-14 victory in the decisive fifth set.
Capps tied her career-high with 19 kills in the match against UW-Stout.
Emerson Traweek tallied 12 kills and
Naomi Bunker had 10.
Jordan Benford had eight kills, while
Abby Lawson and
Faith Bailey each tallied six.
Davis Whitehead had 26 assists in the match and
Lacey Higgins tallied 23.
Allie High had 42 digs, while Bailey had six total blocks. Capps and Whitehead each had three service aces.
Wheaton rallied from an early deficit to win the second set 25-21. The Blue Devils led the set 8-4, but Wheaton countered with a 5-1 surge to tie the set at 9-9. The set was tied at 17-17 when Wheaton scored two-consecutive points, including a kill by Capps to take a 19-17 lead. Wheaton never trailed after that point and Bunker tallied a kill for set point. Capps had a team-high four kills in the set, while Traweek and Benford each had three. High registered nine digs in the second set.
The Blue Devils won the third set, but Wheaton rebounded to win the fourth set 25-21. UW-Stout led the Thunder 15-14 midway through the fourth set, but Wheaton put together an 8-2 surge to take a 22-17 lead. Whitehead recorded a service ace to earn set point for the Thunder. Traweek starred in the fourth set with eight kills, posting a .538 attack percentage. Higgins had 10 assists and High tallied eight digs.
Wheaton posted an impressive rally in the fifth set to win the deciding set 16-14. The Blue Devils led the set 8-4. However, Bunker tallied a kill and Capps recorded two kills followed by a kill for High to tie the set at 8-8. Benford recorded a kill to give Wheaton a 9-8 lead. The Blue Devils scored a point to snap Wheaton's streak of five unanswered points and knotting the set at 9-9. The set was tied at 10-10 when Higgins recorded two-consecutive service aces to give the Thunder a 12-10 lead. The Blue Devils responded with two points to tie the score at 12-12. The set was tied at 14-14 when Bunker registered a kill to give Wheaton a 15-14 lead. Whitehead served and recorded an ace for match point and 16-14 victory in the set.
No. 15 UW-Stevens Point defeated Wheaton 3-0 to close the tournament on Saturday afternoon. The Pointers opened with a 25-12 victory in the first set and followed with a 25-11 victory in the second set. The hosts earned a 25-18 victory in the third set.
Capps had a team-high five kills in the set, with Whitehead adding eight assists. High tallied 11 digs and Bailey had three total blocks.
Wheaton travels to Illinois Wesleyan on Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m. to close out the CCIW schedule for the 2022 season.
