AUSTIN, Texas - The first-ever trip to the Heartland Conference volleyball tournament ended in disappointment for the Newman volleyball team, which dropped a three-set sweep to St. Mary's in the tournament semi-finals Friday evening at the Recreation & Convocation Center in Austin, Texas. Senior Chelsey Potter posted a team-high 10 kills to lead the Jets in the final match of her career.

Third-seeded St. Mary's (14-17) set the tone early in the match, jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the opening set and forcing Newman (14-16) coach Joanna Pryor to call a timeout. The timeout resulted in Newman's first points of the set after a Kate Kershner attack error, but the Rattlers answered back with two-straight points to take a 6-1 lead. The Jets countered with a 5-1 lead to pull within one, 7-6, but that was as close as Newman could get as St. Mary's took a 1-0 advantage with a 25-19 first-set win.

The Jets kept the score close from the outset of Friday's second set. Neither team was able to establish a lead of more than one point until a ball handling error by Chelsey Potter gave the Rattlers a 15-13 lead. St. Mary's followed that with a 5-1 run to take a 20-15 lead en route to a 25-18 second-set win.

St. Mary's led nearly the entire way in the final set. The Rattlers boltd to a 10-3 lead, and Newman was unable to get any closer than four points from St. Mary's until the late stages of the set, when the Jets forced five match-points before falling 25-22 in the set.

Potter finished with 10 kills, and was the only Jet to post double-digit kill numbers. Allison Bailey and Jeana Farruggia were next in line with five kills each. Gabby Loxterman was Newman's leading setter, finishing with 15 assists, while Amanda Savage recorded 17 digs.

With the loss, the Jets end the season with a 14-16 record. They will have to replace Potter, Victoria Green, Ashley Myers, and Allison Fox, who have completed their eligibility, and will graduate following this season.