NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana extended its win streak in Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season matches to 45 with a pair of home victories Friday against Talladega: 25-14, 25-11, 25-10, then 25-13, 25-17, 25-10.
        For the day Kayla Black had 17 kills, Vivica Price-Spraggins 11, Bria Mayes 10 and Madison Smith nine for XULA (8-4, 4-0), which leads the GCAC by a half-match over Dillard, the only other team that's unbeaten in league play. Jennifer Torres served six aces, four in the first match.
        In the second match three XULA setters reached double figures in assists. Eva Le Guillou and Emi Riglioni had 11 assists apiece, and Semira Blair produced 10.
        Talladega, the last GCAC team to beat XULA (October 2016), is 0-8, 0-2.
        "The teams in the GCAC bring their best game when they play us," XULA head coach Pat Kendrick said. "We need to be ready for that. It took us a while to get going. Talladega came ready to play. They kept balls off the floor and made us work for it."
        These were XULA's final GCAC home matches of the season. Next for XULA will be four matches in GCAC group play March 12-13 at Rust College's McMillan Multi-Purpose Center in Holly Springs, Miss. The schedule:

Friday, March 12
2 p.m. — Philander Smith at Rust
4 p.m. — XULA vs. Philander Smith
6 p.m. — XULA at Rust

Saturday, March 13
11 a.m. — XULA at Rust
1 p.m. — XULA vs. Philander Smith
3 p.m. — Philander Smith at Rust