NEW ORLEANS — Kayla Black tied a Xavier University of Louisiana record Tuesday to lead the Gold Nuggets to a 25-19, 25-18, 25-20 volleyball victory against city rival Loyola at the Convocation Center.
     The Nuggets (9-4) won their third in a row and snapped the four-match win streak of the Wolf Pack (8-5). XULA beat Loyola for the ninth time in their last 10 meetings.
     Black, the reigning Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Attacker of the Week, tied the XULA record for kills in a three-set match with 18. She shares the mark with Taylor Reuther, who did it against Dillard in 2012 and Asbury in 2013. Black had 11 digs in her team-leading ninth double-double of the season.
     Jordan Johnson had hit .467 with eight kills and two blocks for XULA, and Adili Rikondja and Vivica Price-Spraggins had six kills apiece. Beatrice Formilan, the reigning GCAC Defender of the Week, had 19 digs, and reigning GCAC Setter of the Week Eva Le Guillou had 42 assists, one fewer than the school record in a three-set match.
     Maddie Hueckels hit .348 with eight kills, three aces, two blocks and 15 assists for Loyola. Malea Howie had seven kills, and Jordan Bernard had six kills, two aces and 10 digs. Helene Masone led the Wolf Pack with 12 digs.
     XULA hit a season-high .330 and limited Loyola to .147. The Gold Nuggets had advantages of 49-33 in kills and 57-50 in digs.
     "We're still working on our consistency," XULA coach Pat Kendrick said. "But we hit over .300 in every set, so it was a good hitting night."
     XULA will open defense of its Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championship at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Convocation Center against another city rival, Dillard. XULA won the last seven GCAC regular-season and tournament championships.
     "These non-conference matches have been getting us ready for conference," Kendrick said. "Our team has the mindset that we'll have to go in and fight for every point. Nobody owes us anything."