KEARNEY, Neb. - The Newman volleyball team posted a split in their first day at the UNK Fall Classic, hosted by the University of Nebraska at Kearney. The Jets opened the day with a 3-1 loss to St. Cloud State, but rebounded to sweep Quincy in the late game.
St. Cloud State 3, Newman 1 (25-15, 25-13, 17-25, 25-16)
It was cold in the UNK Health & Sports Center, and the Jets played like it. Newman (2-4) got off to a slow start that proved deadly in the opening set, committing 15 attack errors and earning just nine kills on 40 attempts. St. Cloud State (3-2) didn't hit much better, posting a .033 hitting percentage, but the Huskies were able to dispose of the Jets with relative ease in the opening set, 25-15.
The second set wound up being chapter two of the same nightmare. This time, the Jets committed 13 errors on 33 attempts with just seven kills en route to a -.182 hitting percentage. St. Cloud State posted 11 kills on their way to a .214 hitting percentage in the set on ther way to the 25-13 win.
With their backs against the wall, the Jets decided to take matters into their own hands in the third set. Determined to extend the match by at least another set, Newman posted more kills in the third set than they had in the entire match combined, tallying 17 kills on 37 attempts while commtting just three errors, and holding the Huskies to just 11 kills on 41 attempts. When the dust settled, the Jets had won the third set, 25-17, and had extended the match.
St. Cloud State took control of the fourth set almost immediately, and took away any hope of a Newman comeback. The Huskies never relinquished the lead on their way to a 25-16 win to seal the match.
Chelsey Potter led the Jets offensively with a 14-kill, 11 dig double-double, her second of the season. Lyndsey Martini led all Newman setters with 24 assists, while Amanda Savage cleaned up a team-high 13 digs.
Newman 3, Quincy 0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-14)
Poor hitting percentages plagued the Jets yet again in the late game, but Newman was able to put together rallies when they needed them to dispatch of the Quincy Hawks in three games.
Newman (3-4) posted double-digit kills in each set of Friday's finale. The Jets opened the match with a first set that saw 11 ties and four lead changes, but Newman recorded kills on 11 of their 38 attack attempts, and committed just eight errors en route to a 25-22 win.
Quincy (1-5) looked like they were going to make things interesting for the Jets in the second set. The Hawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead, and maintained that lead until a Chelsey Potter kill tied the set at 8-8. Unphased, Quincy pushed the lead back out to two, and led until another Potter kill tied the game at 12-12. Newman finally gained its first lead of the set on yet another Potter kill that gave the Jets a 20-19 edge; one they would never give up, as the Jets earned the 25-22 win.
The Jets made quick work of Quincy in the final set. After fighting off an early 3-1 Hawk lead, the Jets went on a 17-4 run to put the set out of reach. The Hawks tried to make a late rally, but were never a threat as the Jets posted a .280 hitting percentage en route to the 25-14 lead.
Chelsey Potter posted her second double-double of the day, and her third of the season, with a 10-kill, 12-dig effort to lead the Newman offense. Lynsdey Martini added a team-hith 18 assists, while Amanda Savage's 14 digs was a team high.
With the win, the Jets improve to 3-4 on the season. They will return to action Saturday as they take on No. 7 Nebraska-Kearney in a 12:15 p.m. contest at the Health & Sports Center. Live Stats and a Live Blog will both be available on newmanjets.com.
