The UW-Parkside volleyball team will head into the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament on a high note after sweeping Saint Joseph's College (25-18, 25-20, 25-13) on Saturday afternoon. The Rangers improved to 10-2 at home this season and will open the tournament Friday morning as the seventh seed.

"We're excited to go in and have the ability to do some damage," said head coach Christine Paciero. "I think we have a very good scenario being able to play teams at a neutral site. We'll prepare this week, get rested, and be ready for Friday morning."

The Rangers have shown this year an ability to play with the best in the league. They've beaten nationally ranked teams in Northern Kentucky and Lewis while going five sets with the other top seeds in Southern Indiana and Indianapolis. Paciero hopes that experience and confidence will be a factor next weekend.

"I think teams might be a little nervous to play us," she said. "We've shown the ability to match-up with everyone and now we've just got to come out and play well."

The Rangers wasted little time in vanquishing the Pumas for their 11th conference win of the year. The first set was tied at 17 before Cayla Flood rattled off nine straight serves to give Parkside a 24-18 lead. Adrienne Uthe finished the set with a kill to claim the set.

Saint Joseph's turned up their play in the second set and had a 16-14 lead before the Rangers other setter, Courtney Stack, led another run. Stack served seven in a row, on which the Rangers got four kills and two blocks to make it 20-16. Addie Kramer hammered home the final point and Parkside was in control.

The third set was all Rangers as they turned a 9-8 lead into a 25-13 victory scoring 16 of the last 21 points. Parkside swung at an astonishing .632 clip in the final set with 13 kills and just one error. Bridget Nickel had four kills, Cassy Marx three, and Kramer and Brooke Schowalter added two.

For the match, Nickel led the team with 11 kills while Stacie Bower had 20 more digs. Schowalter led the Rangers at the net with five blocks, a spot which Paciero noted has been a huge key to the improved defense.

"Our blockers are having a lot of touches and deflections right now making it easier for that back row to dig," she said. "Adrienne and Brooke are getting better and better at getting to the block, closing, and getting touches. Those touches help us to transition from defense to offense and you can see that's a part of our game that's getting better."

The GLVC Tournament pairings will be released officially later tonight but Indianapolis is set to host the event as the top seed and the Rangers will open up the tournament at 7:00 a.m. local time on Friday afternoon. Parkside will either take on Drury University or Quincy University in the opening match. Check back later this evening to find out who the Rangers will be playing in Indy.