LAREDO, Texas - The Newman volleyball team picked up its second-consecutive Heartland Conference win, earning a three-set sweep over Texas A&M International Saturday afternoon inside the Kinesiology Building in Laredo, Texas. Victoria Green's eight kills was enough to lead the Jets in the win.
Newman (5-6, 2-0 Heartland) dug itself in a hole early in the first set of Saturday's match. Texas A&M International (0-11, 0-1 Heartland) scored the first four points of the set, and forced the Jets to respond. They did just that. With senior Chelsey Potter at the service line, the Jets went on a 7-0 run to take a 7-4 lead that they would never relinquish. A quick 3-0 Dustdevil run that tied the set at 7-7 was extinguished with a kill from Karol Marins that sparked another 7-0 run that pushed the Newman lead to 14-7. From there the Jets cruised to a 25-16 first-set win.
TAMIU made things interesting in the second set. After watching the Jets score the first two points of the match, the Dustdevils scored the next three points to take a 3-2 lead. TAMIU rode a 7-3 rally to a 10-6 lead, and held the lead until a Sarah Bailey kill tied the set at 15-15. Newman held the lead until the late moments of the set, when TAMIU forced a 22-22 tie, but the Jets ended the set on a 3-1 run to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
The hosting Dustdevils refused to go down without a fight on their home court Saturday. TAMIU bolted to a 3-1 lead in the final set, but Newman countered with a 3-1 run of their own, and tied the set at 4-4. Neither team led by more than one point from that point forward, until an ace from junior libero Kristen White gave Newman a 12-10 lead. White's ace was part of a 9-0 run that saw Newman's lead increase to 18-10 on another Marins kill. At that point, the damage had been done to the Dustdevils, as Newman breezed to a 25-16 win to secure the sweep.
Victoria Green's eight kills led the Jets offensively in Saturday's match, while Chelsey Potter and Allison Bailey each added six kills of their own. Senior Ashley Myers was credited with 11 assists in the win, while junior Kristen White posted a team-high 12 digs. Newman hit at a .161 clip in the match, which was their second-consecutive win.
Alexandria Montemayor hit seven kills to lead the Dustdevils, who hit -.017 in the match.
With the win, Newman improves to 5-6 overall, and 2-0 in Heartland Conference play. They will return to action Thursday, hosting St. Edward's in the team's first home match of the 2010 season. First serve inside Newman's Fugate Gymnasium is scheduled for 7 p.m.
