MOBILE, Ala. — Xavier University of Louisiana led late in the second and third sets Saturday before dropping a 25-23, 25-23, 25-20 volleyball decision to Mobile.
     The Gold Nuggets (7-13), who led 23-21 in the second set and 17-16 in the third, lost a non-conference match for the second straight day.
     Mirella Gatterdam and Hannah Wentland had 11 kills apiece for the Lady Rams (14-5), the first-place team in the Southern States Athletic Conference, and Hannah Buck had 10 kills.
     Juliana Tomasoni had 10 kills and 11 digs — her ninth double-double of the season — for XULA, and Hasani Salaam and Terri Drake had seven kills apiece. Drake hit a season-high .462, and Taylor Ducros served both XULA aces. Tiffany Phillips had 28 assists and a career-best six kills.
     Mobile outhit XULA .328 to .234 and had advantages of 50-41 in kills and 51-46 in digs. The Lady Rams' hitting percentage is the highest by a XULA opponent this season.
     Amanda Perry's XULA-record streak of 18 consecutive matches with double-figure digs ended. Perry had a season-low eight digs.
     XULA was two points from winning the second set after rallying from a 13-8 deficit. But Mobile scored the final four points on kills by Gatterdam and Alex Karcher, then two consecutive attack errors.
     The Gold Nuggets led 17-16 in the third set after Monet Fontaine and Bria Moore combined for a block, but Wentland had three kills and an ace in a 9-3 run that ended the match.
     Mobile extended its home win streak to 24 matches. The Lady Rams will visit XULA Oct. 15. Next for the Gold Nuggets will be a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference home match against SUNO at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Convocation Center. XULA is 4-0 in the GCAC, and SUNO is 3-0.