EMPORIA, Kan. - The Newman volleyball team's upset bid of No. 13 Emporia State came up short, as the Jets were dealt a 3-0 (25-17, 25-20, ) sweep by the Hornets Tuesday night inside White Auditorium.

After an even battle early on, Emporia State (4-1) used a mid-set rally to push to a 25-17 win in the opening set. The Hornets hit at a .552 clip, racking up 16 kills on 29 attack attempts with no errors, while Newman (2-3) was held to a .214 hitting percentage.

The Jets rebounded in the second set, keeping the Hornets uncomfortable and off balance throughout the first half of the set, when ESU called a timeout trailing 14-13. The Hornets took the lead for good at the 20-19 mark, and ended the set on a 5-1 run to take a 2-0 match advantage. Newman finished with a .237 attack percentage in the set, while the Hornets hit .483.

The drama was absent in the third set. Emporia State jumped to a 10-5 lead, and extended that lead to 16-9. From there, the Hornets flew away with the 25-16 set win to seal the match for ESU.

Jeana Farruggia and Allison Bailey each posted 10 kills to lead the Jets, who hit just .181 for the match. Gabby Loxterman finished with a team-high 20 assists, while Amanda Savage and Allison Fox led the Newman defense with six digs.

Brianne Boner and Brittney Miller each pounded 11 kills to lead Emporia State.

With the loss, the Jets drop to 2-3 on the season. They will return to action Friday, traveling to Kearney, Neb., for the UNK Fall Classic. Newman will face St. Cloud State and Quincy in Friday's matches, before taking on No. 7 Nebraska-Kearney and RMAC foe Mesa State Saturday. All matches will be played at the Health & Sports Center on the UNK campus.

--www.newmanjets.com--