KENOSHA, Wis. - At Parkside, there are 18 Graduate Assistants apart of the Parkside Athletics staff. Graduate Assistants are an integral part of the success at Parkside. In this multi-part series, we will check in with our recently graduated graduate assistants and see how their time at Parkside has prepared them in their new position.
 
Micaela Encarnacion graduated this past spring after being the volleyball graduate assistant coach at Parkside. Upon graduation she has remained in area, now the Assistant Director of Operations for Marquette Volleyball.
 
Encarnacion joined Parkside because of the opportunity to continue her education by obtaining her masters in Sport Management, while also propelling herself forward in the athletics industry. "Parkside allowed me to do both while giving back to the community that helped build the person I am today," she said.
 
During her time at Parkside the Rangers volleyball program took massive strides forward. The 2023 season was historic for the Rangers. After securing a program best GLIAC conference record of 12-6 the Rangers hosted their first GLIAC Tournament game in De Simone Arena, defeating Davenport in straight sets.
 
Micaela's impact was noticed and felt by the entire program, especially from head coach Leigh Barea. "Micaela's personal commitment to learning and growing every day made her phenomenal to work with," said Barea. "She formed meaningful relationships with every staff member and student-athlete which kept our team connected. You could always count on Micaela to be there for you whether it was to help with a project, work through a problem, and bring energy to a room. Others outside the program may not have realized all the behind the scenes impact she was making, but we all know that she was an integral part of our success."
 
Now two months into her role at Marquette, Encarnacion is excited to make an impact for the Golden Eagles as she did for the Rangers. "I am officially two months into my role with Marquette Volleyball," she says, "I am proud to be able to embrace my experiences from Parkside and be able to transition them over to working with Marquette Volleyball."
 
Ranger fans can catch Encarnacion's Golden Eagles in action as they open the season on August 30^th at Eastern Illinois University. First serve is currently scheduled for 6 p.m. CT. You can access Marquette's entire 2024 season schedule here.