NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana announced Monday the hiring of one of its all-time best players, Vivica Price-Spraggins, as women's volleyball assistant coach.
        "I'm happy at the prospect of Viv moving into a coaching role," head coach Pat Kendrick said. "I've watched her develop from an athlete in my first Xavier recruiting class to an enthusiastic coach. Viv knows the Xavier culture academically and athletically. She has been a part of Xavier volleyball working to become a nationally ranked program as an athlete, and I'm sure she will transfer that same passion into her coaching."
        Price-Spraggins worked the Gold Nuggets' spring practices as a graduate assistant, but she earned the promotion after NCAA Division I Howard University hired Phil Evans, XULA's assistant the past two seasons.
        Price-Spraggins, a Chicago native, was an all-conference middle blocker four times for XULA and set school career records for hitting percentage, blocks and matches played. She was second-team All-Louisiana in her fourth season. All five XULA teams that Price-Spraggins played on won conference regular-season and tournament championships and qualified for NAIA nationals.
        Price-Spraggins received her bachelor's degree from XULA in 2021. She is pursuing from XULA a master's in clinical mental health counseling.
        Price-Spraggins is the second athlete from Kendrick's XULA tenure, which began in 2017, to obtain a college job this summer. Kayla Black was named women's volleyball head coach in July at Philander Smith College of Little Rock, Ark.