Albion, Mich. – The Wheaton volleyball team opened a two-match trip to Michigan on Friday night with a non-conference contest at Albion College. The Britons defeated the Thunder 3-2 on their home court.
Albion won the first set 25-18 and Wheaton responded with a 25-17 victory in the second set. The hosts won the third set 25-19 and Wheaton countered with a 25-19 victory of its own in the fourth set. Wheaton pulled out to a 10-4 lead in the decisive fifth set. However, Albion scored 11 of the match's final 14 points to defeat the Thunder 15-13.

Senior Caroline Capps led the Thunder with 19 kills, while Emerson Traweek had 18. Jordan Benford registered eight kills, and Ashton Major recorded seven kills.
Setter Lacey Higgins had 50 assists to lead Wheaton. Grace Autry led the Thunder with 20 digs, and Higgins added 18. Traweek tallied 17 digs, and Capps added 11. Benford had six total blocks in the match, and Faith Bailey added five.

Albion won the first set 25-18 as the hosts never trailed in the opening set. Traweek led the Thunder with five kills in the set, and Benford tallied three. Higgins had 12 assists and Grace Autry tallied seven digs.
The Thunder rebounded to win the second set 25-17. The Britons led 10-9 when Wheaton out-scored the hosts 9-1 to go up 18-11. The Thunder never looked back in earning the victory to tie the match score at 1-1. Traweek and Capps each had five kills for the Thunder in the second set. Higgins had 11 assists, and Autry tallied six digs.

Albion won the third set 25-19. The Thunder led 14-13 when the hosts put together a 7-2 run that gave Albion a 20-16 lead and Albion closed out the set to go up two sets to one. Albion led the fourth set 12-8, when the Thunder rallied with a 5-1 run that tied the set at 13-13. The two teams battled back-and-forth and were tied at 15-15 when a kill by Capps gave the Thunder the lead for good in the set. Capps' kill started a 5-1 run for a 20-16 Wheaton advantage. Fittingly, the final point of the set came on a kill by Capps. Traweek and Capps each had five kills in the fourth set. Higgins registered nine assists and she added 10 digs.

The Albion won the fifth set 15-13. The final set was tied at 2-2 when Wheaton scored four-consecutive points to take a 6-2 lead. The Britons score a point to cut Wheaton's lead to 6-3, but Wheaton responded with a 4-1 run to gain a 10-4 lead. The hosts countered with a 7-1 run that tied the set at 11-11. The set was tied at 13-13 when the Britons closed out the match with a kill followed by a service ace to earn the 15-13 victory. Capps tallied five kills in the final set and Higgins had nine assists.

Wheaton closed out the trip to Michigan tomorrow at Kalamazoo College. Saturday's match against the Hornets is slated to begin at 1:00 p.m. (EDT).