FORT SMITH, Ark. – The Newman volleyball team defeated Arkansas-Fort Smith, 3-1, on Thursday (Oct. 9) to give UAFS its first conference loss of the season. NU moved to 7-9 and 4-5 in the Heartland Conference. UAFS dropped to 14-4 and 8-1 in the conference.
 
The Lady Jets started strong, winning the first two sets for an early 2-0 advantage. The first set was close early with UAFS up 8-6 then four straight NU points put the Lady Jets in front 10-8. The Lady Jets led 19-16 after a block from Gaylynn Jones. Two Lion points pulled them to within one at 19-18; however, NU closed out the set with a 6-0 run for the 25-18 set one win. Jones clinched the set win with a kill.
 
Set two was just as close early as set one. With the score tied at 15-15, UAFS quickly went ahead 18-15 with three straight points. Trailing 20-18 after a UAFS kill, the Lady Jets went on another fun, scoring five straight points for a 23-20 edge. A 3-0 run by UAFS knotted the score at 23-23. With it still tied at 24-24, kills from Shelby Zoglman and Alexis Roecker lifted the Lady Jets to a 26-24 set win and a 2-0 match lead.
 
The third set was all Lions as they raced out to a 13-3 advantage. UAFS rolled to a 25-10 set three win, but still trailed 2-1 in the match.
 
UAFS carried its momentum into the fourth set, pulling out to an 18-11 lead. Down by six at 21-15, NU went on an 8-1 run to take a 23-22 lead. Ashley Gonzalez totaled three kills in the stretch. The Lions tied the score at 23-23 then Gonzalez gave NU match point with another kill. A ball handling error from the Lions ended the match as the Lady Jets were victorious 25-23 and 3-1 in the match.
 
Gonzalez led the Lady Jets with 14 kills on 36 attempts and only one error. She hit a match-high .361. Roecker and Jarin Braithwait each added 12 kills. Roecker totaled a double-double with 12 kills and 14 digs. Also with a double-double was Lexi Kuharich, who tallied a match-high 45 assists and 17 digs. Anna Burton finished with a match-high 41 digs.
 
Michelle Walker, who was the Heartland Conference Player of the Year in 2013, led UAFS with 16 kills.
 
It was the first Newman win over UAFS since Oct. 30, 2010 when the Lady Jets defeated the Lions, 3-1, in Fort Smith.
 
NU travels to Dallas Baptist on Saturday (Oct. 11) to take on the Patriots at 12 p.m. at the Burg Center in Dallas.