•  RRAC preseason coaches poll
•  NAIA preseason coaches poll
•  NAIA coaches poll, Aug. 30

        NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana women's volleyball received no votes Wednesday in the NAIA coaches poll — the second ranking of the 2023 season — but still has plenty to crow about.
        The Gold Nuggets were announced Aug. 14 as the preseason favorite in the Red River Athletic Conference. XULA received five first-place votes and 69 points. Second was Our Lady of the Lake with three first-place votes and 67 points.
        XULA will close the regular season with matches at OLLU Nov. 1 and 2. OLLU won the RRAC regular-season championship in 2022, then the Gold Nuggets won the RRAC Tournament championship by rallying from a 13-9 fifth-set deficit against the Saints.
        In the NAIA coaches poll of Aug. 16, XULA was among "others receiving votes" with 12 points — 36th place overall. It's the first time XULA volleyball received votes in an NAIA preseason coaches poll and the eighth time the Gold Nuggets appeared in any national poll. This is the 16th season of XULA volleyball, and the Gold Nuggets did not receive poll points until 2019.
        XULA lost twice to top-25 teams in the season-opening CC Hampton Inn Classic at Columbia, Mo., but won in four sets against John Brown, which was two places ahead of the Gold Nuggets in the preseason poll.
        XULA (2-2) will travel to Campbellsville, Ky., for three matches this week: Friday at 3 p.m. against Marian (Ind.) and 7 p.m. against Life; Saturday at 3 p.m. against Campbellsville. Times are Eastern.