Rangers fall to Saginaw Valley State in five sets

The opening set stayed within a point until Saginaw Valley scored three straight, including an Ava Decker service ace, to move in front 11-7. Parkside worked back with kills from Emily Zaper, Avary Polavin and Sierra Kilbourn, tying the set at 17-17 before Saginaw Valley answered with four points in a row for a 21-17 lead. After Polavin's kill got the serve back, Lucy Russ served through a Parkside push that included two Kilbourn kills and a Monica Lukasiewicz-Kilbourn block, putting the Rangers ahead 22-21. Saginaw Valley retook control with the next three points, and after Polavin's kill brought Parkside within 24-23, Marissa Roe's kill closed the set for Saginaw Valley, 25-23.

Parkside broke a 1-1 tie with four straight points, getting a Polavin kill, a Lukasiewicz-Kilbourn block and a Lauren Peters service ace to move ahead 5-1. Kills from Zaper, Hailey Warfel and Maia Olson helped the Rangers stretch the set to 12-4, but Saginaw Valley answered with three straight points, including a Rachel Townsend kill, to close within 12-7. Parkside kept separation from there, with Polavin adding kills at 13-7, 14-7 and later at 23-16 and 24-16 after Saginaw Valley had pulled within 21-16 on a Chloe Vanwinkle ace. Saginaw Valley fought off two set points, but Polavin finished the set with a kill from Warfel for a 25-18 Parkside win. Polavin recorded 18 kills, exceeding her season average of 14.17.

After the teams traded points to 3-3, Parkside moved in front behind kills from Kilbourn, Olson and Zaper, with Zaper's ace making it 8-5. Polavin added three kills during the next stretch, and a block by Lukasiewicz and Zaper helped push the lead to 13-8 before Olson kills and a block by Warfel and Olson moved the Rangers ahead 18-10. Saginaw Valley cut into the margin with a Taylor Smith kill, a block and a Chloe Vanwinkle ace to make it 18-13, then later used a Rachel Townsend kill, a block and another Townsend kill to get within 20-16. Parkside answered enough late to stay in front, reaching set point at 24-19 on a Saginaw Valley attack error and taking the set 25-20 on another Townsend attack error.

Parkside traded points early and held a 5-3 edge after a Saginaw Valley attack error, but Saginaw Valley tied it at 5-5 and moved ahead 8-5 behind a Taylor Smith kill and consecutive blocks on Zaper attacks. Olson had two kills as Parkside stayed within 10-9 before Saginaw Valley scored six straight points, including two Cola Sisk kills and a block by Sisk and Marissa Roe, to build a 16-9 lead. Lukasiewicz and Kilbourn recorded kills, Olson added a block, and Abby Alms followed with a kill and a block assist with Olson as Parkside cut the deficit to 19-17. Saginaw Valley pushed back to 23-19 on a Rachel Townsend kill, a block and an Ava Decker ace, and after Parkside closed to 23-21, a service error and Townsend kill ended the set at 25-21.

Kilbourn's kill tied the fifth set at 2-2, and Parkside used a Saginaw Valley bad set and attack error to move ahead 4-2 before Alms' kill made it 5-3. Saginaw Valley recovered from a 7-5 deficit with a Parkside service error, Ava Decker's ace and Rachel Townsend's kill to take an 8-7 lead, but Lukasiewicz and Kilbourn answered with consecutive kills to put Parkside back in front 9-8. Townsend later had back-to-back kills to give Saginaw Valley an 11-10 lead, and after Polavin tied it at 11-11, Saginaw Valley took four of the final five points to close the set 15-12.

Natalie Harris led the Rangers with a team-high 35 digs, while Avary Polavin recorded a team-high 18 kills and 18.0 points. Lucy Russ finished with 26 assists and 14 digs, while Emily Zaper contributed nine kills, 13 digs and two service aces. Sierra Kilbourn added 10 kills, two blocks and 11.0 points.

Parkside is back in action Tuesday, September 29, taking on Purdue Northwest in Hammond, Indiana, at 5 p.m. CT.