Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 KEARNEY, Neb. – Newman volleyball went 1-1 to open the 2013 season, splitting two thrilling five-set matches on day one (Sept. 6) of the New Victorian Inn & Suites/Runza Volleyball Classic. The Lady Jets started the season with a 3-2 victory over South Dakota School of Mines and lost 3-2 to Chadron State.
 
Newman 3, South Dakota Mines 2 (25-20, 27-29, 25-23, 25-27, 15-11)
 
The Lady Jets started strong, winning set one 25-20. With a close 10-9 score, NU pushed the margin to 20-12 and held on to take the set. The second set was close throughout. The Lady Jets had set point at 27-26 after a Gaylynn Jones kill, but S.D. Mines reeled off three-straight points to steal the set, 29-27.
 
NU responded with a 25-23 win in set three for a 2-1 advantage.  With the score close at 16-15, the Lady Jets scored three points in a row for a 19-15 lead, but the Hardrockers knotted it at 19-19 with four straight points. After a Lady Jet timeout, NU scored the next two points and held that margin for the 25-23 set win.
 
The Lady Jets controlled set four early, pulling out to a 10-5 lead, but S.D. Mines knotted the score at 12-12. Trailing 21-19, NU scored five of the next six points to have match point at 24-22, but the Hardrockers made a run and won set four 27-25.
 
NU took the final set, 15-11, scoring four of the last five points. With a slim 11-10 lead, NU pulled away for the 15-11 victory and the 3-2 match win.
 
Alexis Roecker put down a match-high 20 kills and hit .356. Jones had a double-double with 19 kills and 18 digs. Jarin Braithwait totaled 12 kills, hitting .400. Setter Alexus Litts finished with a double-double of 46 assists and 17 digs plus added a match-high four aces. Libero Tori Alderson had 41 digs.
 
Chadron State 3, Newman 2 (25-22, 25-23, 18-25, 21-25, 15-13)
 
Against Chadron State, NU dropped the first two sets, but battled back to even the match at 2-2. In the fifth set, CSC won by a close 15-13 score to take the match.
 
After falling in the first two sets, NU responded with a 25-18 win in set three. The Lady Jets pushed out to an 18-12 advantage and later scored five of the last seven points of the set to win 25-18. The momentum continued into the fourth set as NU took the first four points. The Lady Jets held an advantage the rest of the set, not allowing CSC to close to less than two points as NU won 25-21.
 
In the fifth after trailing 9-7, the Lady Jets made a 4-0 run to go up 11-9. At 12-10, Chadron made a 4-0 run of their own to push to match point at 14-12. NU needed two points to extend the match, but only got one, falling 15-13 in the final set.
 
Jones was one dig away from a double-double, totaling a team-high 15 kills and added nine digs. Litts had 23 assists, and Lexi Kuharich finished with 20 assists and 11 digs for a double-double. Alderson led the Lady Jets with 16 digs.
 
The Lady Jets return to the court tomorrow (Sept. 7) against William Jewell at 10 a.m. NU then plays Black Hills State at 4 p.m. Live stats are available for both matches.