FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Media Relations

SOMERS, Wis. (Sept. 17, 2015)-- After two consecutive weekends of tournaments, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside volleyball team finally gears up for Great Lakes Valley Conference play, opening up the league slate inside DeSimone Gymnasium against West Division opponents Missouri University S&T and Drury University.
 
The Rangers open GLVC play and their home slate on Friday at 7 p.m. against Missouri S&T before taking on Drury on Saturday at 3 p.m. Live stats and video will be provided for both matches.
 
About the Rangers: UW-Parkside (5-3) won three of its four games at the Western Oregon Invitational over the weekend, dropping its opener before finishing off the three-day tournament with back-to-back-to-back victories.
 
The Rangers began their Pacific Northwest excursion with a 3-0 (25-13, 25-22, 25-13) setback to Concordia University (Oregon) on Sept. 10 before edging host Western Oregon University 3-2 (20-25, 25-17, 19-25, 25-20, 15-8) the following night. On Saturday, Rebecca Roembke tallied 23 kills and 14 digs in a 3-1 (27-25, 22-25, 25-10, 25-9) win over Adelphi University before closing the trip with a come-from-behind win over California State University 3-2 (19-25, 24-26, 27-25, 25-16, 15-11). UW-Parkside dropped the opening two sets against Chico State and trailed 9-1 in the third before mounting a 9-1 run of its own to tie the set at 10-10. The Rangers collected consecutive kills to close the set from Roembke, earning the 27-25 win before claiming set four and five by 25-16 and 15-11 margins.
 
Roembke had a big weekend for the Rangers, averaging 3.7 kills per set and 2.4 digs per set while sporting a .315 hitting percentage.
 
On the season, Roembke leads the team in kills with 114, averaging 3.5 per set while Jackie Langer and Lexi Turek contribute 2.6 and 2.2 per set, respectively. Lauren Hickson averages a team-high 8.3 assists per set while Jeni Heller owns a team-best 23 blocks. Defensively, Jessi Mainczyk and Meghan Conley share the team lead in digs, both averaging 3.2 per set while Roembke chips in 2.1 per set.
 
About the Miners: Missouri S&T (6-3) looks to rebound after falling 3-1 to sixth-ranked University of Central Missouri on Tuesday. All three of S&T's losses this season have come at the hands of ranked opponents, falling 3-1 to 13th-ranked Ferris State University and 25th-ranked University of West Florida on Sept. 11 by identical 3-1 scores. The Miners' have netted one upset of a national-ranked foe, downing 18th-ranked Colorado Mesa University 3-0 on Sept. 12 at the Colorado Premier Challenge in Denver.
 
Carlie Combs and Krista Haslag lead the Miners in kills, averaging 2.9 per set, respectively while Alexis White leads the team with 9.27 assists per set and nine service aces. Defensively, Jackie Pyles paces the squad with 5.0 digs per set while Haslag owns a team-high 46 blocks in 2015.
 
About the Panthers: Drury (7-1) heads into GLVC play riding a four game win streak after finishing its Texas trip undefeated. The Panthers began the season with a 3-1 record at the Washburn Tournament in Topeka, Kansas with the lone setback a 3-2 affair to host Washburn University.
 
Drury rebounded from the loss with four straight 3-0 victories at the Emerald Beach Tournament host by Texas A&M University-Kingsville. The Panthers claimed victories over Bentley University, Lubbock Christian University, host TAMU-Kingsville, and Saint Mary's University (Texas).
 
BJ Specht is the Panthers kill leader, averaging 3.6 per set while Laynie Timmons and Brooke Antenen add 2.6 per set. Antenen has a team-high 232 assists (8.6 per set) while Specht paces the team defensively, averaging 4.0 digs per set.
 
Five Set Magic: Three of the Rangers' five wins this season have come in the fifth set with UW-Parkside enjoying a 3-0 mark in five-set matches. The Rangers edged Mercyhurst University 3-2 at the Ferris State Tournament on Sept. 4 while claiming five set wins in Oregon against host Western Oregon University on Sept. 11 and two days later against California State University-Chico to close the trip.
 
GLVC Openers: Under Head Coach Christine Paciero the Rangers are 2-2 in GLVC Openers. Paciero won her GLVC debut 3-0 against Kentucky Wesleyan College on Sept. 9, 2011 while prevailing 3-1 against Quincy University to begin the 2013 campaign. Truman State University spoiled the GLVC opener for the Green and White in 2014, securing a 3-0 win.
 
GLVC Prognostications: The GLVC released its annual coaches' poll on August 26 with UW-Parkside picked to finish fifth in the East Division. The Rangers racked up 64 points in the poll, finishing 14 points shy of fourth place University of Southern Indiana and 14 points clear of sixth place Bellarmine University. Defending East Champion University of Indianapolis secured the top spot, collecting 110 points and seven first place votes. Lewis University nabbed the No. 2 spot with 109 points and five first place nods followed by McKendree University in third with 97 points and four first place votes. Southern Indiana was fourth (78 points), followed by Parkside (64), Bellarmine (50), Saint Joseph's College (32) and University of Illinois Springfield (28).
 
In the West Division, Rockhurst University landed the preseason No. 1 position, raking in 115 points and 10 first place votes. Defending division and tournament champion Truman State University was slotted at No. 2 with 110 points and the remaining six first place endorsements. Missouri University S&T was third with 89 points while the University of Missouri-Saint Louis secured fourth with 77 points. Drury University was fifth with 60 points, followed by Quincy University in sixth (55 points), Maryville University in seventh (38 points), and William Jewell College in eighth (25 points).
 
Parkside's Paciero: Head Coach Christine Paciero begins her fifth season at the helm at UW-Parkside, owning a career mark of 137-93 and a 74-55 record with the Rangers. Paciero compiled a 63-38 record in three seasons at Dominican University (2008-2010) before taking over the reins at Parkside. She notched her 100th career win in the 2013 season opener, downing Anderson University on Sept. 6.
 
All-Academic: The UW-Parkside volleyball squad earned both the Team Academic All-GLVC Award and the AVCA Team Academic Award for the second straight year this offseason, boasting an impressive 3.44 team grade point average. Additionally returning student-athletes Meghan Conley, Jeni Heller, Lauren Hickson, Rebecca Kuske, Jackie Langer, Rebecca Roembke, and Lexi Turek were all honored as Academic All-GLVC honorees.
 
Three and counting: UW-Parkside posted a winning record for the third consecutive season in 2014, marking the first time since 1990 the program has strung together back-to-back-to-back winning campaigns. The Rangers streak began in 2012, posting a 21-10 record in Head Coach Christine Paciero's second year at the helm. Parkside followed it up with an 18-13 record in 2013 and a 15-13 mark last season. Under the direction of Terry Paulson the Rangers accumulated six consecutive winning seasons from 1985 to 1990 including a program-best 34-win season in 1986.