FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Bill Boppre, Sports Media Assistant

SOMERS, Wis. (Sept. 9, 2016)-- The University of Wisconsin-Parkside volleyball team dropped both matches as they hosted the first day of the UW-Parkside Volleyball Tournament, falling 3-2 (16-25, 18-25, 26-24, 25-19, 15-13) to Upper Iowa University and 3-1 (31-29, 25-18, 24-26, 26-24) in the nightcap to Minnesota State University Moorhead inside a warm and humid DeSimone Gymnasium.
 
The Rangers (1-5) started off their day controlling the opening set with an early 7-4 lead with the help of a 5-serve run by Rebecca Roembke, highlighted by 2 of her 4 aces in the match.  UW-Parkside closed out the first match on the Peacocks (3-2) with four straight points.  Katie Adams kicked off the streak with a kill and then served out the set giving the Rangers the 25-16 victory.  The second set saw more of the same for Parkside.  Roembke had a 4-serve run with one ace early in the set, and to secure the 25-18 win Lexi Calloway had 4 kills in the Rangers' 7-2 run at the end of the set.
 
Upper Iowa took a commanding lead in the third set 21-12 after a 9-1 run, but Parkside returned the favor with an 8-1 run of their own and tied the set at 24-24.  Two Ranger errors finished out the set, and they fell 24-26.  The teams traded leads early in the fourth set, but with an 18-16 lead, the Peacocks ran away with the set finishing with a strong 7-3 run and winning 25-19.  Upper Iowa kept the momentum in the fifth and final set and never trailed on their way to a 15-13 match clinching set.
 
Lexi Calloway (13 kills, 13 digs) and Rebecca Roembke (12 kills, 13 digs) both had double-doubles in the match.  Lexi Turek led the team with 5 blocks, and she also had 12 kills in the match.  Lauren Hickson led the team with 42 assists and Annie Leo was the Ranger leader in digs with 17.
 
In the night match's opening set, the Green and White were playing catchup most of the set as the Dragons (4-2) would take a lead, the Rangers would come back to tie it.  After facing 5 Moorhead set-points, Parkside tied the match at 28-28, and Lauren Hickson snuck in a kill on a second hit to give the Rangers their first set point 29-28.  Moorhead would win the match 31-29 on three straight errors from Parkside.  The Rangers took a 10-8 lead in the second set, when the Dragons went on a 9-point streak and never looked back winning 25-18. 
 
UW-Parkside battled back in the third set, taking a 14-9 lead midway through after four straight serves from Lexi Calloway including a service ace.  The Rangers had 3 set-points on their way to the 26-24 victory.  The fourth set was a close affair with neither team leading by more than 2 points, but with 3 match-points at the end of the set, Upper Iowa won 26-24.
 
Rebecca Roembke led the team with 21 kills and also finished with 15 digs.  The Ranger setter Lauren Hickson finished with 52 assists and 12 digs.  Libero, Annie Leo had a team high 17 digs in the four-set match.
 
Day two of the UW-Parkside Volleyball tournament continues Saturday, Sept. 10 with the Rangers facing two non-conference opponents, University of Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State University at 11:30am and 4pm respectively.