SPRINGFIELD, Mo.- The Jets opened the 2026 season at the Drury Invitational on Friday. Newman first played Minot State, forcing five sets, but falling short 2-3.The Jets then faced Texas A&M International in game two, where they dropped the match in three sets.
Game One: NU 2 , MSU 3
Newman narrowly fell to Minot State in a five-set contest, with a final score of 2-3. The Jets managed to secure a 27-25 win in the third set and 25-23 fourth set, showcasing resilience before the Beavers clinched the match with a 15-7 victory in the decisive fifth set.
Newman faced an uphill battle in the first set, falling behind early as Minot State gained momentum with several consecutive points. After an initial attack error from Jasmin Bell, the Beavers capitalized on a series of errors and strong plays to build a substantial 13-2 lead. Newman fought back with a rally of their own, narrowing the gap with key kills from
Priscilla Raschen and
Ashlyn Warburton, closing the score to 13-6. Though the Jets continued to battle, the Beavers would hold onto the lead and take set one, 25-19.
Newman experienced a challenging second set against Minot State, with the visitors securing a 25-21 set victory. The Jets initially kept pace, with Warburton and
Hannah Tymitz each delivering key kills to level the score at various points. However, Minot State orchestrated a pivotal stretch, recording multiple service aces that shifted the momentum. Despite a late rally from Newman, capped by kills from
Kierny Follmer and
Madalyn Hoot, the Beavers held on to close out the set.
Newman secured a tense 27-25 victory in the third set against MSU, featuring a series of momentum shifts. The set began with Minot State taking a quick 2-0 lead. NU responded with a 5-0 run, punctuated by
Isabella Lamb's consecutive kills, bringing the score to 16-13. The Beavers fought back, tying the score at 24-24. However, Newman clinched the set with two consecutive points from Tymitz, including a decisive kill set up by Hoot.
Minot State surged ahead early in the fourth set, opening with a 6-0 run fueled by kills from Caton Pearcy and Emily Willis, as well as a service ace. The Jets responded with resilience, narrowing the gap to 18-16 thanks to a series of errors by the Beavers and a key service ace by
Charissa Ninan. As the set tightened, the Jets leveled the score at 22-22 with an ace from
MaddyLynn Shumway. Newman clinched the set and the match with a decisive 25-23 victory, capped off by a Raschen kill followed by an error from the Beavers.
In the decisive fifth set, Minot State surged to a 15-7 win over Newman. Caton Pearcy was instrumental for Minot State, contributing multiple kills and a service ace. Newman's efforts included kills from
Avery Kelley and Lamb, but the Beavers' steady scoring sealed the win. The Jets would fall to the Beavers, 2-3.
Player Notes:
- Tymitz led the Jets with 14 kills.
-
Reese Daugherty led the Jets with 28 digs.
- Follmer added five blocks at the net, with eight kills on the offensive end.
Game Two: NU 0 , TAMIU 3
Newman faced Texas A&M International to wrap up day one of the Drury Invitational. The Jets fell in straight sets, 0-3.
The first set began with the Jets taking an early lead, fueled by Hoot's two consecutive service aces, putting the score at 3-0. The Dust Devils responded with a run, tying the match 3-3. Newman regained momentum with Raschen's kill, assisted by
Alexis Kessler, pushing the score to 5-3. The set saw several lead changes with key contributions from players on both sides. Kelley and Lamb provided crucial blocks and kills for NU, while Andrea Nunez and Ece Ozdemir led TAMIU's attack. Despite Newman's late push with two consecutive kills from Tymitz, TAMIU closed the set with a 26-24 win.
In the second set, the Jets started strong with an early 3-0 run, including a kill by Tymitz and an attack error by TAMMIU. The Dust Devils responded with a series of kills taking a 4-3 lead. Despite efforts from Newman, including a kill by Raschen, TAMIU extended its lead to 14-7. Newman attempted a comeback with a service ace from Kessler, but the Dust Devils secured the set at 25-18.
TAMIU pulled ahead early in the third set, capitalizing on a series of attack errors from the Jets to establish a 6-1 lead.
Reese Johnson and Hoot managed to spark a brief rally, closing the score to 14-14 with crucial kills and service aces. However, TAMIU regained control back and was able to secure a 25-17 win over the Jets. Newman fell, 0-3.
Player Notes:
- Hoot added 12 assists with three service aces.
- Johnson led the defense with 11 digs.
The Jets return to action tomorrow at 11 AM to wrap up the Drury Invitational, first facing Southern Nazarene then with a 5 PM game against Drury.
