NEW ORLEANS — Eight-time defending champion Xavier University of Louisiana defeated Rust 25-10, 25-4, 25-12 Friday morning in the opening match of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Volleyball Championship tournament at the Convocation Center.
     The Gold Nuggets (28-6), the tournament's No. 1 seed, will play fourth-seeded Edward Waters in the semifinals at 5 p.m. Friday. Admission is free for all rounds of this event, which features all eight teams in a single-elimination format.
     Bria Mayes had eight kills, Vivica Price-Spraggins and Zora Barnett had seven kills apiece, and Kayla Black had six kills for XULA. Price-Spraggins hit .538, and Barnett and Black hit .500 apiece. Eva Le Guillou served four aces, and Jennifer Torres and Si Si Mitchell served two apiece. Torres had 16 digs.
     XULA divided the labor at setter again, with Le Guillou collecting 17 assists and Tiffany Phillips 14.
     Lazer'Rhea Burnside hit .357 with seven kills and three blocks for the eighth-seeded Lady Bearcats (1-17), and Camille Miller had 11 digs.
     XULA outhit Rust .356 to minus-.065 and had advantages of 39-14 in kills, 34-14 in assists, 9-0 in aces and 41-36 in digs. Rust outblocked XULA 5-3.
     Edward Waters defeated Philander Smith 25-16, 25-20, 25-19 in the second quarterfinal.