Coach Pat Kendrick video interview

     NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana opened its volleyball season Friday with a 25-20, 25-21, 21-25, 20-25, 15-13 loss to Cumberland, then a 25-14, 25-15, 25-15 victory against Coastal Georgia in its Early Bird Invitational.
     There will be five more matches Saturday at the Convocation Center. The Gold Nuggets will play NAIA No. 5 Viterbo at noon and city rival Loyola at 6 p.m. The first 200 XULA students at the Viterbo match will receive a free silicone phone wallet.
     Two-match XULA totals included Kayla Black with 29 kills and 40 digs, Ema Causevic with 22 kills, four aces, 17 kills and three blocks, Bria Mayes with 20 kills and three blocks, Zora Barnett with 17 kills and six blocks, Vivica Price-Spraggins with 17 kills, eight aces, 10 digs and eight blocks, Eva Le Guillou with 90 assists, five aces, 13 digs and three blocks and Jennifer Torres with 31 digs.
     Barnett hit .387, Mayes .318 and Price-Spraggins .302. Barnett and Mayes are freshmen; juniors Causevic and Torres also made their XULA debuts.
     Barnett and Mayes combined to hit .619 — 13 kills and no errors in 21 attacks — against Coastal Georgia.
     XULA hit .330 against Coastal Georgia after hitting .156 — including 35 attack errors — against Cumberland. Black had 18 kills and a career-high 23 digs against Cumberland.
     XULA defeated Coastal Georgia for the first time in three attempts. The Mariners defeated the Gold Nuggets in three sets in 2015 and four sets in 2016.
     Also Friday, Viterbo won 25-13, 25-17, 25-18 against Loyola and 21-25, 25-18, 25-14, 30-28 against Cumberland. Coastal Georgia defeated Loyola 25-22, 25-22, 25-18.
     In the other Saturday matches, Cumberland will play Coastal Georgia at 10 a.m. and Loyola at 2 p.m., and Coastal Georgia will play Viterbo at 4 p.m.