FORT SMITH, Ark. - The Newman volleyball team split a pair of matches against the Arkansas-Fort Smith Lions at the Stubblefield Center in Fort Smith, Ark. The Jets were dealt a 3-0 sweep in Friday evening's contest, but rebounded for a 3-1 win over the Lions Saturday afternoon.

Friday, Oct. 29 - Arkansas-Fort Smith: 3, Newman: 0
Arkansas-Fort Smith (17-12) took the early momentum and never looked back in a three-set win over the Jets. The Lions picked up identical 25-18 wins in each of the first two sets, but Newman (11-15) put up a fight in the third set. A three-poiint run with Karol Marins at the service line broke a 5-5 tie, and gave Newman a lead it stretched to to 18-11. The Jets held that lead and forced set point at 24-21 before the Lions roared back.

UAFS scored the next four points, and took a 25-23 lead after a Marins attack error, but a Brittany Hunt service error forced the match into extra points. The Lions scored each of the final two points, and a Chantlee Nash kill completed the Lion sweep with a 27-25 third-set win.

Chelsey Potter and Victoria Green led Newman's offense with nine kills in the losing effort. Splitting time at the setter position, Ashley Myers and Gabby Loxterman each finished with 15 assists. Libero Amanda Savage was Newman's leading defensive player, finishing with 15 digs in the match.

Satuday, Oct. 30 - Newman: 3, Arkansas-Fort Smith: 1
Three Jets posted double-doubles as the Jets rebounded from Friday's sweep for a 3-1 win over the Lions in Saturday's contest. Karol Marins finished with with a 20-kill, 13-dig effort, while Chelsey Potter added a 14-kill, 27-dig outing. Freshman setter Gabby Loxterman posted Newman's third double-double of the contest, finishing with a career-best 57 assists and 20 digs.

Newman (12-15) opened the match with a 25-22 win in the first set. The Jets posted 16 kills on 57 attempts, and committed seven errors to post a .158 attack percentage in the opening frame. Arkansas-Fort Smith (17-13) countered with a 25-22 win of their own in the second set, hitting .317 as a team, but the Jets countered with back-to-back set wins to earn their 12th win of the season. Newman held off the Lions for a 28-26 win in the third set, and clinched the match with a 25-23 win in the fourth set.

Marins' 20 kills, Loxterman's 57 assists, and Potter's 27 digs were all team-highs. Jeana Farruggia added 12 kills to round out Newman's double-digit hitters, while Amanda Savage dug 25 balls from the libero position.

With Saturday's win, the Jets improve to 12-15 on the season. They will return to action Thursday in a 7 p.m. contest against Texas-Permian Basin.