Newton volleyball falls
at 15th-ranked Nevada

NEVADA — Facing the 15th-ranked team in Class 3A, the Newton volleyball team didn’t have enough to pull the upset Tuesday night, falling in four sets (23-25, 16-25, 25-18, 22-25).

Melissa Bartholomew led the Cardinals with 18 kills and tied for the team lead with seven digs. Kallee Shipley went 13-for-13 serving and had seven digs. Makayla Burton went 18-for-19 serving, had two aces, seven kills, and added five digs. Michaela Bleaker led the defensive effort with four blocks.

“I thought Melissa really hit the ball well tonight, and Michaela Bleeker had her best match of the season,” said Newton coach Kim Florke. “Bleeker just keeps getting better and better every day.”

The Cardinals next event is next Thursday, when they travel to Oskaloosa for a duel. Newton currently sits 0-5 and is looking for their first win of the season.

“We definitely played better tonight than we did this weekend,” Florke said. “We settled down and within ourselves. We need to build some consistency and I think that will come with more experience.”