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

Metro State Box Score

Mercyhurst Box Score

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. (Sept. 4, 2015)-- The University of Wisconsin-Parkside volleyball team opened its 2015 campaign with a pair of victories at the Ferris State Invitational, breezing past perennial power Metropolitan State University of Denver 3-1 (25-20, 19-25, 25-21, 25-19) to begin the day before edging Mercyhurst University 3-2 (25-19, 12-25, 25-15, 20-25, 16-14) in the nightcap.
 
The Rangers (2-0) racked up 10 aces in the opener against Metro State (0-1), including four off the serve of Lexi Turek. The Roadrunners held an early lead in the first set before UW-Parkside battled back, tying the set at 12 and never trailing the rest of the way to claim the 25-20 win. Metro State seized game two while the Rangers rode an 8-0 run in the third set to emerge with the 25-21 before finishing off the match with a 25-19 win in set four.
 
Rebecca Roembke led the attack with 18 kills while Turek tallied 10. Lauren Hickson accrued 42 assists while defensively, Jessi Mainczyk finished with 13 digs.
 
Against Mercyhurst (0-2), the Rangers utilized an 8-1 run late in the opening set to seize the 25-19 win. The Lakers used s surge of their own in set two, emerging with the 25-12 decision before the Rangers led wire-to-wire in the 25-15 set three victory. Mercyhurst extended the match with a 25-20 win in the fourth before Parkside mounted a massive rally in the final set to escape with the 16-14 win.
 
In the decisive set, Mercyhurst had the Rangers against the ropes, trailing 14-10 before rattling off the next six points to seal the game. Lexi Calloway ignited the run with consecutive kills, followed by an Elizabeth Mavis kill, forcing a Laker timeout. An MU attack error tied the game while a Jackie Langer service ace and a Roembke kill completed the comeback and gave the Rangers the match win.
 
Roembke and Hickson both finished with double-doubles in the nightcap. Roembke paced the attack with 17 kills while adding 10 digs while Hickson led the team in both assists and digs with 38 and 16 respectively.
 
The Rangers finish off the Ferris State Invitational tomorrow, taking on Saginaw Valley State University at 9:30 a.m. (Eastern Time) and Missouri Western State University at 2:30 p.m. (ET).