MOBILE, Ala. — Disah Kolassiba had 14 kills and
Bailey Nations 10 Tuesday to lead Mobile to a 25-21, 28-26, 25-16 women's
volleyball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana.
The Lady Rams (23-10) rallied from deficits of 20-18
in the first set and 20-17 in the second set to help them end the three-match
win streak of the Gold Nuggets (16-7). Mobile swept the two-match season series
from Xavier and is 3-0 all-time at home against the Nuggets.
Moira Kirk had 13 kills, and
Jodi Chatters had 10 digs
for Xavier. Kirk reached double figures in kills for the fifth time in six matches.
Kolassiba had three kills and a block in Mobile's 7-1
run to end the first set. Xavier trailed 13-9 in that set before grabbing momentum
with an 11-5 run which included Kirk's two kills and a block.
Xavier failed to even the match despite leads of 15-9
and 17-11. Nations and Kiara Gay had two kills apiece in Mobile's next comeback, and
the Lady Rams won the second set after three
Chinedu Echebelem attack errors
in the final four rallies.
Kolassiba's kill put Mobile ahead to stay, 10-9, in
the third set. The Nuggets were still in contention at 17-15 before Mobile closed
with eight points — including three Nations kills and two Nicole Armstrong
aces — in the final nine serves.
Mobile outhit Xavier .282 to .090 and had advantages
of 45-29 in kills and 6-1 in aces. XU standout
Taylor Reuther equaled a season low
with four kills — one in 13 swings in the final two sets — and served
no aces for the second consecutive match. Reuther began the day as the NAIA
leader with 0.84 aces per set — two-hundredths of an ace ahead of UT
Brownsville's Danica Markovic. Reuther had 19 kills at home in a four-set victory
against Belhaven on Monday.
The loss was Xavier's second in a row on the road after
a school-record 11 consecutive road victories.
Xavier can clinch its second consecutive Gulf Coast
Athletic Conference regular-season championship with a victory Thursday against
city rival SUNO. That match will start at 7 p.m. at The Barn. The regular-season
finale will be 7 p.m. Saturday at GCAC and city rival Dillard, then the Nuggets
will travel to Little Rock, Ark., for the GCAC Tournament on Nov. 8-10.
