Kenosha, Wis. - On the second day of the Hampton Inn Invitational, the Rangers secured a victory and a loss. They started the day with a four-set victory over Ohio Dominican in the morning, but later fell to Northern State in three sets.
 

GAME ONE

Inside the box score:

• Ava Irvin led the way with 19 kills (.516).
• Marisa Lootens notched a career-high with 6 service aces, while the team registered 13.
• The Rangers attacked at a .328 clip.

How it happened: 
The Rangers opened set one in a close battle with the Panthers. The two sides traded points up until the Rangers' 12th point. Parkside then strung together four consecutive points to take a 15-12 lead. Although the Panthers tied it at 17-17, kills by Karlee Lois and Ava Irvin, along with an attack error by ODU, allowed the Rangers to regain the lead, and they didn't look back. The Rangers survived the first set despite ODU's .400 attack percentage.

ODU responded by taking set two from the Rangers, 25-21. However, the Rangers found their rhythm in set three, hitting .464. Irvin shone in the later half of the set, recording four kills and finishing the game with a team-high 19 kills. The Rangers comfortably took the third set, 25-18.

With their offense clicking, the Rangers dominated the fourth and final set. They hit a game-high .545 with 15 kills and only three errors. Parkside closed the set 25-17, moving to 2-0 at home this season.
 

GAME TWO

Inside the box score:

• Ava Irvin once again led the Rangers with 11 kills.
• Marisa Lootens led the team in digs with 16.
• Karlee Lois secured a double-double with 27 assists and 12 digs.

How it happened: 
Although the Rangers were swept, they battled through all three sets. Early on, the team relied on Irvin, who collected five kills in the opening set. Mariena Coon provided a spark off the bench with back-to-back kills, but Northern State grabbed an early lead and held it throughout, out-blocking Parkside 4-1.

In set two, the Rangers led for the majority but couldn't hold on late. Timely kills from Elizabeth Truckenbrod and setter Karlee Lois helped Parkside take a 5-1 lead. The Rangers led until the 20-point mark, but two straight service aces allowed Northern State to seize the momentum. Despite hitting a match-best .294, the Rangers fell 25-22 in set two.

In the third and final set, the Rangers stayed competitive but were overpowered by the Wolves, who registered seven of the last nine points to complete the sweep.
 

Next: 
The Rangers return for the final game of the Hampton Inn Invitational tomorrow. They will seek revenge against Upper Iowa, a team that beat them last weekend at the Maverick Invite. The match is scheduled for 5:00 PM. For coverage, visit ParksideRangers.com/coverage.