2023 all-region lists

        NEW ORLEANS — For the second consecutive season, Xavier University of Louisiana's Kennedy Wade is the American Volleyball Coaches Association NAIA Southcentral Region Player of the Year.
        Wade a senior outside hitter from Gainesville, Fla., and a graduate of Buchholz High School, hit .242 in 22 matches with a team-leading 286 kills and 329 points. She also had 33 aces, 17 blocks and 198 digs.
        Wade and Taylor Parker are XULA's representatives on the 14-member All-Southcentral team. Teammate Ruxandra Flueras earned honorable mention. Parker is the ninth in the 16-year history of XULA's program and the Gold Nuggets' first freshman to earn first-team all-region.
        Parker, a middle blocker/right side from Charlotte, N.C., and a graduate of Hickory Grove Christian School, led the Gold Nuggets with 111 blocks and a .344 hitting percentage. She set a XULA match record with 14 blocks and a season record with 1.18 blocks per set.
        Parker was runner-up to Mid-America Christian's Sawyer Franz in voting for region freshman of the year.
        Flueras — a junior from Chieri, Italy, and a graduate of Liceo Statale Augusto Monti and Colby (Kan.) Community College — led the Red River Athletic Conference with 5.09 digs per set, which also is a XULA season record.
        The AVCA announced the awards Nov. 30. XULA was one of three schools with multiple first-team honorees in this region. Our Lady of the Lake had four, and Texas Wesleyan had two.
        XULA finished 19-8, placed second in the RRAC regular season, won the RRAC Tournament and earned an automatic bid to NAIA nationals. It was the 13th consecutive season that the Gold Nuggets won a conference tournament and qualified for NAIA nationals.

photos by Yamlak Tsega