NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana got 13 kills from Kennedy Wade and a season-high-tying 11 kills from Stella Dineva in a 25-17, 29-27, 25-22 Red River Athletic Conference women's volleyball victory Friday against Texas A&M-Texarkana at the University of New Orleans Human Performance Center.
        The Gold Nuggets (14-2 overall, 9-0 RRAC) won their 13th in a row and snapped the six-match win streak of the Eagles (9-7, 4-3).
        The teams will meet at 6 p.m. Saturday at UNO to conclude their two-match series.
        XULA outhit TAMUT .232 to .079 and had advantages of 45-30 in kills and 54-38 in digs.
        "We played well," Dineva said. "We had some ups and downs, but we competed hard as we always do."
        Both teams had multiple set points in the second. XULA trailed 25-24 and 26-25 but finally clinched on kills by Dineva, then Angela Egonu.
        "We stayed calm," Dineva said. "We can't play well if we're mad or upset."
        The Eagles are a first-year varsity program and had not lost since a pair of four-set home defeats against Our Lady of the Lake, which shared the RRAC regular-season championship with XULA a year ago.
        "They made us play. They came in here ready to go," XULA head coach Pat Kendrick said of the Eagles. "They forced us to play at a high level. That was good for us."
        Sasha Bajek and Katherine Toftemark had seven kills apiece for the Eagles. Toftemark had a match-high four blocks.

NOTE:  XULA's Juliana Cruz wore No. 5 in this match — she usually wears 16.