SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Xavier University of Louisiana volleyball, fueled by 50 kills and a .352 hitting percentage, advanced to the championship round of the Red River Athletic Conference Tournament with a 25-16, 25-12, 27-25 semifinal victory Friday against Wiley.
        The Gold Nuggets (12-6) will play for the title — and the RRAC's automatic bid to NAIA nationals — at 1 p.m. Saturday against defending champion Our Lady of the Lake, a 23-25, 25-23, 25-17, 25-14 winner against third-seeded Huston-Tillotson in the other semifinal.
        XULA and OLLU shared the RRAC regular-season championship and were seeded 1-2 in the tournament.
        XULA's statistical leaders included:
        •  Kennedy Wade with 16 kills, a season high, an ace, eight digs and a .389 hitting percentage.
        •  Stella Dineva with 10 kills and a .600 hitting percentage.
        •  Vivica Price-Spraggins with nine kills, a block and a .364 hitting percentage.
        •  Linda Mungai with a match-high 24 digs. It's the sixth time this season that the sophomore libero reached 20 digs.
        •  Emi Riglioni with 24 assists — the sophomore's third-best total in her XULA career — and five digs.
        •  Semira Blair with 23 assists and nine digs.
        •  Taylor McGee and Angela Egonu with five kills apiece.
        Marissa Neal had 11 kills and 10 digs for fifth-seeded Wiley (8-11), Merritt Elder had 21 digs, and Hailie Williams served three aces.
        XULA's seven attack errors were a season low.
        XULA will attempt to win a conference tournament for the 11th consecutive season. The Gold Nuggets' previous 10 titles occurred in their former home, the Gulf Coast Athletic.