Wheaton, Ill. – The Wheaton Thunder volleyball team hosted Franklin College (7-10) on Friday night as part of the College's Homecoming Weekend. The host Thunder swept the Grizzlies 3-0 (25-19, 25-18, 25-17). Wheaton improves to 7-6 on the season with tonight's win. The Thunder return to CCIW action on Wednesday night as they host North Park at 7:00 p.m. in King Arena.

Jordan Benford impressed tonight with a match-high 15 kills, with just one error on 25 attempts as she posted a .560 attack percentage. Emerson Traweek tallied 11 kills, with 11 digs. Caroline Capps had seven kills and Ashton Major added six, with five for Faith Bailey. Setter Lacey Higgins had 36 assists, three service aces and a team-high 15 digs. Grace Autry added 10 digs.

Wheaton won the first set 25-19. The set was tied 5-5 when Major tallied a kill that gave Wheaton a 6-5 lead and sparked an 11-1 run for the Thunder. Wheaton continued to maintain a sizable lead until late in the set when the Grizzlies trimmed the hosts' lead to four at 23-19. Bailey recorded a kill to give Wheaton a 24-19 lead and Bailey served an ace to give Wheaton the first set, 25-19. Benford led the Thunder with five kills in the opening set. Bailey added four kills and Traweek had three. Higgins recorded 15 assists and had three service aces.

Wheaton earned a 25-18 victory in the second set. Franklin jumped out to a 3-1 lead, but Capps tallied a kill to cut the guests' lead to 3-2 and the Capps kill started an 11-2 run for the Thunder as Wheaton opened up a 12-5 lead. The key run allowed the hosts to maintain a large lead in winning the set 25-18. Traweek and Benford each had five kills in the set, and Higgins had 12 assists.

Wheaton closed out the match by winning the third set 25-17. Wheaton never trailed in the set and their largest lead was eight at 24-16. Benford again led Wheaton in kills with five in the third set. Traweek, Capps and Major each recorded three kills. Higgins had nine assists and eight digs in the set.