NEW ORLEANS — Taylor Reuther's 10 kills and 11 digs and Kayla Jones' 11 third-set digs carried Xavier University of Louisiana to a 25-15, 25-14, 25-21 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference volleyball victory against Talladega at the Convocation Center.
     It was the GCAC opener for both teams. The Gold Nuggets (5-4) have won 60 in a row against GCAC opponents, 49 in the regular season.
     Reuther, a three-time first-team All-GCAC player, produced her second consecutive double-double and third of the season. Jones produced all her digs after replacing Darian Harris as libero to begin the final set. It was the first time this season that Jones reached double figures.
     Claudia Haywood had six kills and a season-high five blocks for Xavier, and CeCe Williams had five kills, two blocks and a career-high five assists.
     Carla Novaes, who shared GCAC Preseason Player of the Year honors with Haywood, had nine kills, nine digs and two blocks for Talladega (0-6). Gabrielle Bailey served two aces.
     Xavier seized first-set momentum with a 9-2 run which gave it a 14-8 lead. The Gold Nuggets closed the second set with a 10-4 run and closed the match with a 13-4 run after trailing 17-12 in the third. A Talladega attack error put Xavier ahead to stay, 21-20, in the third.
     Xavier hit a season-high .240 — .269 in the final two sets — and limited the Lady Tornadoes to minus-.054 hitting. The Gold Nuggets had advantages of 37-18 in kills, 46-32 in digs and 6-3 in blocks.
     Xavier will play GCAC opponent Edward Waters at 6 p.m. EDT Friday in Jacksonville, Fla. The next XU home match will start at 2:30 p.m. Sept. 19 against the GCAC's Tougaloo.
     NOTES  Xavier is 9-0 all-time against Talladega. They'll meet again Oct. 17 at Talladega, Ala. . . . The Gold Nuggets have won 59 in a row and 65 of their last 67 matches against HBCUs . . . It was the first time that the Gold Nuggets played on Labor Day.