DEARBORN, Mich. — Senior Juliana Tomasoni and freshman Jaida Dowd combined for 25 kills Saturday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 25-20, 25-23, 24-26, 15-25, 15-12 volleyball victory against Lawrence Tech in the UM-Dearborn Early Bird.
     The Gold Nuggets start the season 2-1 for the first time since 2013. They gave Lawrence Tech its first loss of the year.
     Tomasoni produced 16 kills, a season high, and two aces. Dowd had a career-best nine kills.
     Also contributing to XULA's 53 kills were Hasani Salaam with eight, Adili Rikondja with seven and Lauryn Taylor with six. Eva Le Guillou served two aces. Taylor and Le Guillou are freshmen.
     The Gold Nuggets missed a chance for a 3-set sweep when the Blue Devils (3-1) rallied from a 21-16 deficit in the third. Lawrence Tech forced a fifth set after opening the fourth with a 13-1 run.
     "Started strong," XULA head coach Pat Kendrick said. "Backed off our intensity in the third and had to fight our way back to win."
     XULA scored five of the final six points in the fifth to wipe out Lawrence Tech's 11-10 lead.
     It was the first time in three years that XULA played consecutive 5-set matches and the first time ever that the Gold Nuggets went to five sets on consecutive days. NAIA No. 24 Madonna beat XULA 15-11 in the fifth Friday evening.