TALLADEGA, Ala. — Xavier University of Louisiana hit .537 — the third-highest percentage in program history — and rolled Monday to a 25-10, 25-14, 25-4 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference volleyball victory against Talladega.
     The Gold Nuggets (15-4, 6-0), on the road for the fourth consecutive match, won for the ninth consecutive time. They'll visit city and GCAC rivals SUNO at 1 p.m. Saturday and Dillard at 6 p.m. Monday.
     Freshmen led the XULA offense. Marine Angely had nine kills and hit a career-high .563 in 16 attacks, and Elena Duru's eight kills and .636 percentage were career highs.
     The Gold Nuggets set school records for fewest points allowed in a third set — the previous mark was five set three times, including a week ago at Rust — and for fewest attack errors in a match, two. The previous low was three attack errors, also set at Rust this past week.
     XULA did not commit an attack error until the 56th rally.
     Kayla Black and Jaida Dowd had six kills apiece for the Gold Nuggets. Vivica Price-Spraggins served three aces. Beatrice Formilan had 13 digs, and Black had 12.
     Carlesia Nunnally had six kills for the Lady Tornadoes (9-9, 3-4), who hit minus-.091.
     XULA scored the final nine points and 18 of the last 20. The Gold Nuggets produced runs of 10-2 in the first set and 12-1 in the second.
     Angely narrowly missed her sixth match of the season with double-digit kills. Her accuracy was a major upgrade from the previous two matches, when she hit a combined .063 in 16 attempts.
     "I felt good that I could hit and score points," Angely said. "The setter was giving me a place to hit every time."
     Duru, 6-feet-4 and the Gold Nuggets' tallest-ever player, earned playing time for the ninth consecutive match after playing in four of the first 10 matches. After committing XULA's first attack error late in the second set, she finished with a flurry, producing kills on all four of her third-set attacks.
     "I am happy with how the game went and how well I hit," said Duru, who raised her season hitting percentage to .317 in 63 attacks — .367 in 49 attacks during the last nine matches. "I'm satisfied with how my season is going. I know I need to work to improve my skills, especially serving."
     It was the third time in four matches that XULA allowed fewer than 30 points. The exception was Saturday at Edward Waters, where the Gold Nuggets struggled the first two sets despite a sweep.
     "Edward Waters? That was a B-minus. Talladega was an A," Black said in assessment of the most recent matches. "Tonight we were consistent. We did a good job with first touches, which made (setters) Eva's (Le Guillou) and Tiffany's (Phillips) life a lot easier. The hitters were hitting to great spots where the Talladega defense wasn't, and the setters were distributing the ball to all the hitters."

XULA volleyball, most consecutive match victories
20 in 2013
13 in 2017
11 in 2015
10 in 2014
9 in 2018 (active)
9 in 2017