Women's Volleyball | 9/10/2015 1:23:00 PM

FORT SMITH, Ark. – The Newman volleyball team starts the 2015 Heartland Conference slate at defending Heartland Conference champion, UA Fort Smith, at 5 p.m. at Stubblefield Center. Live stats and video will be available.
 
The match against UAFS starts a stretch of seven-straight road contests. After today, the Jets play at the Arkansas Tech Tournament on Friday and Saturday in four matches.
 
The Jets are currently 2-3 and are coming off a 3-0 win over Bacone College on Tuesday (Sept. 8) in the home opener for NU. Laura Hageman had a match-high 10 kills and hit .500. For the season, senior Ashley Gonzalez has a team-best 57 kills for 3.35 kills per set. Her .322 hitting percentage is also best on the team along with her 11 blocks. Senior Alexus Litts is the starting setter with 167 assists for 9.28 assists per set. On defense, Anna Burton has a Heartland Conference-best 93 digs and 5.17 digs per set. She was named the Heartland Conference Libero of the Week on Monday (Sept. 7), her first player of the week award.
 
The Lions are 1-3 on the season, going 1-3 at the Hamption Inn-vitational in Pensacola, Fla. to start the season. Playing a tough schedule, UAFS won, 3-0, over Bridgeport and then lost Southwest Minnesota State, Saint Leo and West Florida. In 2014, the Lions went 29-5 and 15-1 in the Heartland Conference – the lone loss to the Jets. Kennedia Coleman leads the Lions with 44 kills and 3.38 kills per set. Bailey Katzfey has a team-best 77 assists for 7.70 assists per set. Emily Tripp totals 63 digs for 4.85 digs per set.
 
In 2014, the two-match series was split. UAFS won in Wichita on Sept. 9 by a 3-0 score. In Fort Smith, the Jets won, 3-1, on Oct. 9.
 
After tonight, NU plays four matches at the Arkansas Tech Tournament. The Jets start with Ouachita Baptist at 1 p.m. on Friday (Sept. 11) and then take on host Arkansas Tech at 5 p.m. NU takes on Midwestern State on Saturday (Sept. 12 at 9 a.m. and then play Missouri Southern at 3 p.m.