NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana snapped Loyola's six-match volleyball win streak with a 25-12, 25-20, 26-24 decision in 72 minutes Tuesday.
        The Gold Nuggets are 7-0 all-time in the Convocation Center against their city rival.
        XULA (6-6) reached .500 for the first time this season, and the victory was XULA's first this season against a non-conference opponent. The Nuggets won six of their last eight matches.
        Vivica Price-Spraggins had 12 kills — that tied her season high — three blocks, an ace and a .667 hitting percentage. Price-Spraggins, XULA's career leader in hitting percentage, hit .522 in the last five matches (37 kills, two errors, 67 attacks).
        Also contributing for the Gold Nuggets were:
        •  Stella Dineva with seven kills and a .429 hitting percentage. The 6-foot-2 freshman hit .375 in the last four matches (20 kills, five errors, 40 attacks).
        •  Emi Riglioni with 11 assists and a career-high-tying 12 digs. It was Riglioni's first double-double of the season and the fourth of her career.
        •  Semira Blair with 18 assists and eight digs.
        •  Angela Egonu with a career-high 13 digs. It was her first time in double figures.
        •  Taylor McGee with six kills and two blocks.
        •  Kendall Mack with three blocks to raise her team-leading season total to 45.
        •  Linda Mungai with a match-high 14 digs. It was Mungai's 10th double-digit performance of the season and the 10th time she led XULA in digs.
        •  Maddie Meyer with a career-high-tying and match-high two aces. She served them consecutively to give XULA a 13-8 first-set lead.
        Gabriela Martinez hit a career-best .636 with eight kills and four blocks for Loyola (12-7), the co-leader in the Southern States Athletic Conference.
        XULA ended the match after trailing 15-7 and 21-18 in the third set.
        XULA head coach Pat Kendrick hesitated to call it her team's best performance of the season, but she loved what she saw initially.
        "It was the best we have started in a match this season," Kendrick said. "That's something we've stressed all season — starting strongly. Our setters did a good job running the offense and getting the ball to our hot hitters."
        XULA outhit Loyola .212 to .025 — the Wolf Pack's lowest percentage in nearly two years — and had advantages of 38-27 in kills, 5-3 in aces and 64-44 in digs.
        This is the only match this week for XULA, which will resume its Red River Athletic Conference schedule at 11 a.m. Oct. 22 against Southwest (N.M.) at DeSoto, Texas.