WICHITA – Newman University Volleyball begins its next chapter with the 2023 season beginning Friday. Coach Marisa Compton commences her second year leading the program. The Jets won a total of 8 games in 2022 and look to eclipse the double-digit win total for the first time since 2017 (11) in this upcoming season.

WHO'S WHO AND WHO'S NEW

Coach Compton returns ten players from last season and tallies 16 total. The roster boasts a combination of experience and youth. Of the six new student-athletes, just two are freshmen. Those fresh faces are Sydney Henning and Savannah Schwarz. The addition of transfers McKenna Rhodes, Camdyn Kindred, Avery Dempsey, and Makenna Reinert will bolster an already experienced lineup.
Experience is crucial when it comes to the success of teams. That will be no different for the Jets. The group is led by four seniors. Four-year seniors include Mckinzie Weaver, Natlie Morales and Olivia Parsley. They are joined by Hannah Brisco who transferred to Newman after playing for Coach Compton at Neosho, just before the hire was made in early 2022. Brisco provided a spark to the Jets IN 2022 with 161 kills and 16 aces in her first year on the court.

WHERE IT COUNTS

Senior Libero/DS Natalie Morales appeared in every match and set last season. Across 30 matches played, the Hatillo, Puerto Rico native dominated the back line with 583 digs, good enough for 5.11 digs per set. Morales was third amongst her peers in digs per set in the MIAA. Her 2022 performance gave her All-MIAA recognition on the Honorable Mention team.

Senior Setter Mckinzie Weaver and reliable have become synonymous. #5 started her season on the All-Tournament Team at the 2022 Southern Invite and did not stop there. One thousand one hundred and fourteen assists later, 9.77 per set, landed Weaver fifth in conference and on the Honorable Mention All-MIAA team. Weaver accounted for 89% of the Jets assists in 2022.

Junior Middle Hitter Ozioma Ajekwu was a force to be reckoned with and the tape does not lie. At the net, Ajekwu returned 124 balls to sender in her first year as a Jet. It was not just her scoring defense that boosted the Jets, but also her 262 kills. Her kill total and block total tallied her 344.5 points on the year which was second best on the roster. A .249 hitting percentage was good enough for 18^th in the conference while her block total put her in the top three when stacked up against MIAA foes. Ajekwu also found herself on the honorable mention list when awards were announced.

ROAD WARRIORS

Newman's schedule opens in the same place it did last season, at the Southern Invite. Beginning Friday, the Jets will start a stretch of 11 road games to open the campaign. The nonconference slate will include the trip to Joplin for four games and then a trip to Quincy, Illinois for a 3-game weekend. The final four games will stack Newman up against Pittsburg State, #RV Central Oklahoma, Missouri Western, and #13 Northwest Missouri State to open conference play.

The Jets will swing home for a quick two games against #16 Nebraska-Kearney and Fort Hays State before another five on the road. Eight of the last ten games will be at home as the conference opponents return the trips made in the early part of conference play. Regular season play concludes on November 11^th as preseason #17 Washburn travels in from Topeka.

WHAT THEY THINK

MIAA Coaches have voted, and this year's preseason rankings have put the Jets ranked 11^th. The Jets finished 10^th in the standings last year after going 3-17 in conference play. The decision is split on who will take the conference crown, but four coaches believe it to be #16 Nebraska Kearney. The other seven are split between #13 Northwest Missouri State, #RV UCO, and #17 Washburn.

STAFF

Marisa Compton enters her second season at Newman. After a full off-season and recruiting class to her name, Compton looks to make a mark on her team. Compton now has recruits of her own in all four classes on the 2023 roster.

Helping lead the charge with Compton is newly hired Assistant Coach Rylee Meloy '21. Meloy a former NU women's basketball player remains around the athletic department after completing her MBA as the department Graduate Assistant from August 2021 until May earlier this year. Prior to playing for the basketball team, Meloy was a three-sport athlete in High School, playing Cross Country, Basketball and Volleyball. It was Volleyball in which Meloy helped lead Centennial HS to the 2016 New Mexico State Championship.

Student Assistant Abby Borough enters her first year in a coaching capacity. Borough, a Nursing major is expected to graduate in December. She was a two-year member of the volleyball team. In just two seasons she amassed 357 kills and 130 blocks.

Nathaniel Duncan enters year one as the team's Sports Information Director.

Newly appointed Head Athletic Trainer, Noah Rogers, will administer the prevention, treatment, and care as the team's primary athletic trainer.

HOW TO FOLLOW

You can follow the Jets on X, Facebook, and Instagram at @NewmanJetsVB. All matches played in an MIAA venue will be streamed to the MIAA Network. That is 24 of the 28 total games. Access can be purchased at www.themiaanetwork.com/newman.