NEW ORLEANS — Monet Fontaine hit .373 with 29 kills Saturday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a pair of victories on the final day of the Big Easy Blastoff volleyball tournament at the Convocation Center.
     The Gold Nuggets defeated Martin Methodist 17-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-14 during the afternoon, then roared back in the evening with a 25-19, 25-23, 25-14 thumping of Webber International, a 2017 NAIA national tournament qualifier.
     XULA (6-2) won 3-of-4 matches in its third annual home tournament. The Gold Nuggets will begin their quest for an eighth consecutive Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championship in a 6 p.m. Tuesday home match against Tougaloo.
     Fontaine had career highs of 15 kills and nine digs against Martin Methodist.
     Fontaine and teammate Vivica Price-Spraggins were named to the 10-player all-tournament team. Price-Spraggins hit .554 with 44 kills and 25 blocks in four matches. Price-Spraggins had 12 kills, eight blocks and hit a career-best .706 against Webber.
     "We got better as the day went on," XULA coach Pat Kendrick said. "We got steady play out of Viv, and Monet gave us a spark off the bench."

2018 Big Easy Blastoff all-tournament team
(10 selected . . . no MVP was chosen)
Mirella Gatterdam, Mobile
Avery Wasdin, Mobile
Julia Felix, Point
Kaitlyn Lund, Martin Methodist
Hayley Brisendine, Martin Methodist
Virginia Salanoa-Sagapolu, Webber International
Sury Santos, Webber International
Gillian Tripp, William Carey
Monet Fontaine, XULA
Vivica Price-Spraggins, XULA

2018 Big Easy Blastoff final standings
(no champion was declared)
3-1 XULA
2-1 Mobile
2-2 Martin Methodist
2-2 Point
2-2 Webber International
0-1 SUNO
0-2 William Carey

2018 Big Easy Blastoff scores
Friday, Aug. 31
Point d. Martin Methodist 3-1 (21-25, 25-18, 25-17, 25-17)
Webber International d. Mobile 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-21)
XULA d. Point 3-2 (25-14, 25-27, 25-18, 26-28, 15-10)
Martin Methodist d. Webber International 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-10)
Mobile d. XULA 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-22)

Saturday, Sept. 1
Martin Methodist d. SUNO 3-0 (25-13, 25-15, 25-16)
Mobile d. Point 3-2 (25-16, 25-27, 25-15, 21-25, 15-12)
Webber International d. William Carey 3-1 (25-19, 21-25, 25-18, 25-21)
XULA d. Martin Methodist 3-1 (17-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-14)
Point d. William Carey 3-1 (25-19, 25-23, 18-25, 25-23)
XULA d. Webber International 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-14)