Energy helped make the difference.

After dropping the first set to visiting Hall on Tuesday, the Comets took control in the middle set before holding off the Red Devils is a 23-25, 25-15, 25-21 Three Rivers East win on senior night.

It was the regular season finale for Hall (8-20-1, 3-7).

Newman (15-18, 6-4) wraps up the regular season at Rockridge on Thursday.

“Our energy started off really low in the first set, and we picked it up in the second set.” Newman’s Lucy Oetting said. “Our student section was really loud tonight, and everyone’s just so supportive, so that helps a lot.”

Newman led the opener 20-15 and 22-18 before letting things slip away.

The Comets never trailed again.

Bella Lanning (one ace, 10 digs) led Newman with 14 kills, Ruby Burger (one block) had 12, Gisselle Martin (one ace) had 11 and Lauren McClain (two aces) had eight. Brooklyn Smith had 40 assists and Oetting had three aces.

Hall got within a 22-20 deficit in the third set, but Newman was able to close it out.

Kaitlyn Coutts and Caroline Morris each had eight kills for Hall. Charlie Pellegrini had 13 digs, while Mia Wenzel (10 digs) had 11 assists and Emma McCook had nine.

Oetting said her team is capable of playing much better, but it still was a fourth straight win for Newman.

Hall coach Carolyn Foster said it was a challenge coming off a Monday match at Alleman.

“We have to learn how to finish and we’ve been working on that,” she said. “That No. 11 [Lanning] is really good on the outside and their middles were swinging really well.”

Foster said playing as a team and moving on from one point to the next are key for her team having success.

“They can’t dwell on the last point, because the next point could be the turning point,” she said. “Playing as a team is huge.

“They’re very talented individually. And when they do play together it’s amazing. But we just haven’t had that connection every single game.”

Eighth-seeded Hall faces ninth-seeded Oregon in the Class 2A Rock Falls Regional quarterfinals next Monday at 6.

The Comets begin the postseason as a No. 7 seed against tenth-seeded Mendota next Monday in the Class 2A Princeton Regional quarterfinals at 6.

“Just supporting each other and being there, having energy and just overall playing the game,” Oetting said of the keys to having success. “Even when somebody’s having a bad night, somebody else can have a good night.

“If we have a lot of energy, then we’re going to play great.”

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Newman’s Lauren McClain plays the ball against Hall’s Natalia Zamora Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025. (Alex T. Paschal)