MEMPHIS, Tenn — Getting superb offensive performances, the Newman volleyball team closed out its stay at the Christian Brothers Invitational with a pair of 3-0 sweeps against Arkansas-Monticello and Assumption Saturday.
ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO
KEY SEQUENCE
After ripping off an impressive first set, the Jets (3-1) weren't trying to give the Boll Weevils (2-3) any extra chances in the second. Holding onto a slim 22-21 lead, Crystal Powell and Hailey Braddy turned in a block and Megan Pedersen and Emily Harvey put together a pair of kills to score three of the final four points and go up 2-0 in the match on the way to a 25-17, 25-22, 25-20 win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
-Newman had just one attack error and posted a .583 hitting percentage in the opening set, but it was a tight one early. With the lead bouncing between two and one, the Jets went on an 8-2 run to wrestle control away from UAM. Kayla Turner had a pair of aces and Braddy had three kills during the stretch.
-Monticello bounced back quickly in the second, taking a 7-3 lead early and not trailing until a 4-0 spurt by the Jets that included an ace and a kill out of Pedersen. UAM skipped back out in front at 15-14, but Newman picked up three kills from Harvey and scored five of the next six points to take the lead for good.
-In a third set filled with runs, Newman had the first one, as Anna Burton reeled off three straight aces to help the Jets to an early 6-1 lead. The two sides would trade bursts, with UAM climbing back to down just 8-7, Newman going up 12-8, and the Boll Weevils getting back to as close as 20-18 late. The Jets would close out the first sweep of the day though, as Turner, Harvey and Yemima Buana recorded kills to end it.
ASSUMPTION
KEY SEQUENCE
With both teams feeling each other out early, Newman would close the first set out in a methodical fashion against the Greyhounds (0-4). Tied at 9-9 at one point, the Jets just kept chipping away, scoring two points to each of Assumption's one and building a lead. The Jets' largest run was three points to go up 23-15, and they breezed home with a 25-17, 25-12, 25-19 win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
-Assumption went up 1-0, but the Jets scored the next two points and wouldn't trail for the rest of the set. Errors by both sides early helped keep the score close until a 4-1 burst put the Jets up 13-10, with Harvey contributing two kills. A disjointed ending to the set saw the Greyhounds give Newman four points before Harvey ended it with a kill.
-The second sight was tight early once again, tied 7-7 and Newman leading just 9-8. That didn't last long though, as the Jets rolled off nine straight points to completely turn the tide. Harvey posted two kills, Buana one, and Sarah Peterson notched an ace as the Jets shot in front by 10 and didn't look back.
-Momentum didn't slow down as the third set got underway. Newman scored the first five points and built its lead the whole way to 15-4. The lead wouldn't get any closer than five the rest of the way, and that didn't come until 23-18, and the Greyhounds helped out with a pair of errors to close things out.
NOTES
-As would be expected in a pair of sweeps, the Jets put up some impressive numbers. As a team, they hit .301 against UAM and .299 against Assumption. The team had 16 aces on the day, including 11 against the Boll Weevils.
-Harvey started out her day by hitting .560 with 16 kills against UAM, and she followed it up with an even better performance, going for another 16 kills against Assumption, but this time against no kills for a .640 hitting percentage.
-Burton posted better than six digs per set on the day, totaling 37 while adding four aces.
-Pedersen posted a pair of double-doubles, going for 26 assists and 12 kills in the opener, and 19 assists and 12 digs in the finale.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Jets finish head to Northwestern Oklahoma State for a 7 p.m. match Tuesday.
