KENOSHA, Wis. — (RV) Parkside volleyball returns to the road for a two-match GLIAC weekend, traveling to Michigan for a pair of conference matchups. The Rangers, who enter the weekend 8-3 overall and 2-2 in GLIAC play, will first travel to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, to face Lake Superior State on Friday, Sept. 25, at 5 p.m. Parkside will then continue south to University Center, Michigan, to take on Saginaw Valley State on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 1 p.m.
Parkside has been one of the GLIAC's top defensive teams throughout the season, ranking second in the conference with 16.00 digs per set and third with 720 total digs. The Rangers also rank third in the GLIAC with 70 service aces.
Natalie Harris continues to lead the defensive effort, pacing the conference with 240 digs and 5.33 digs per set, which ranks 10th nationally in NCAA Division II. Avary Polavin has been a key offensive contributor, ranking fourth in the GLIAC with 159 kills and sixth with 3.74 points per set, while Maia Olson leads the Rangers with 39 blocks and ranks fourth in the conference with 0.87 blocks per set.
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Scouting Lake Superior State
Lake Superior State enters Friday's matchup with a 3-9 overall record and a 0-4 mark in GLIAC play. The Lakers are hitting .127 as a team this season and rank sixth in the conference with 66 service aces while averaging 1.53 aces per set, good for seventh in the GLIAC.
Elisa Rizzoli leads Lake Superior State with 104 total kills and 142 digs, averaging 3.64 digs per set, while Morgan Deming leads the Lakers at the net with 33 total blocks. Friday's matchup will mark the second meeting between the two teams this season, with Parkside earning a 3-0 victory in the first meeting.
The Rangers also hold an 11-5 advantage in the all-time series.
Scouting Saginaw Valley
Saginaw Valley State enters Saturday's matchup with a 9-3 overall record and a 3-1 mark in GLIAC conference play. Saginaw Valley State has excelled defensively this season, pacing the GLIAC in blocks per set with 2.23, digs per set with 16.25 and total blocks with 98. Saginaw Valley State is hitting .215 as a team while limiting opponents to a .138 hitting percentage.
Marissa Roe leads the Cardinals and the GLIAC with 50 total blocks, averaging 1.14 blocks per set, while also contributing 69 kills on the season. Rachel Townsend leads Saginaw Valley State with 123 kills and averages 2.93 kills and 3.38 points per set. Defensively, Kendall White ranks fifth in the GLIAC with 179 total digs and averages 4.16 digs per set. Taylor Smith directs the Cardinals' offense with 9.19 assists per set, ranking sixth in the conference.
The Rangers are 7-7 all-time against the Cardinals, with Parkside taking the most recent matchup in a 3-0 sweep.
