Madison, Wis. -- The 2023 season came to an end for the Thunder volleyball team on Saturday evening, as Wheaton faced off against UW-Oshkosh and Edgewood College in a non-conference triangular. The Thunder fell to the second-ranked Oshkosh Titans in three sets in their first match today before being defeated in four frames by the hosting Edgewood Eagles. Wheaton's campaign comes to a close with an overall record of 10-16.
The Thunder knew they were in for a tough matchup to begin Saturday's competition, taking on the unbeaten #2 team in the country. Wheaton managed to crack 20 points in the second set against Wisconsin-Oshkosh, but the Titans used their experience and depth to secure the contest in straight sets. The Thunder's best performance came in the aforementioned second frame, posting an attack percentage of .324, the second-highest mark overall in the match. Oshkosh enjoyed most of the statistical advantages in the contest, but Wheaton matched their WIAC opponents on six total blocks.
The junior duo of
Caroline Capps and
Emerson Traweek led Wheaton with six kills apiece, and Capps joined
Sydney Overweg on a team-high two aces.
Faith Bailey posted five kills and led all players with four blocks against the Titans, while Capps and Traweek each registered a pair of rejections.
Paige Syswerda earned a match-high 20 of Wheaton's 21 assists, and
Grace Autry collected the remaining one while also leading the team in digs with 14.
Just as they did in last weekend's Elmhurst Invitational, the Thunder won a set in their second match of the day to avoid suffering consecutive shutouts. Wheaton edged the Edgewood Eagles 25-23 in the opening frame, but the day's hosts captured the next three sets to earn the match victory.
Despite the 3-1 overall scoreline, the box score statistics reflected multiple advantages for Wheaton, as the Thunder led their Wisconsin opponents in kills (52-46), assists (47-41), and digs (82-67) and scored just one less point overall.
Caroline Capps led all players with 18 kills to her credit and also reached double-figures in digs with ten.
Paige Syswerda led the Thunder with two service aces, joined on this figure by
Maddie Dungan, and another match-best assist total, this time of 37.
Grace Autry tallied the most digs for Wheaton once again with 23 in the second match on Saturday, while
Sydney Overweg led the Thunder at the net with five blocks.
Jordan Benford joined Capps on double-digit totals in two categories, earning 12 kills and 20 digs.
Despite having no postseason play on the agenda, the Thunder have reason to look forward to next year's schedule, as there are no graduating seniors on this year's roster. Wheaton will aim to return to the CCIW Tournament in 2024 with a helpful year of experience and growth under their belt this fall.
