NEW ORLEANS —
Xavier University of Louisiana hit a season-high .329 Friday and defeated
Southwest (N.M.) 25-22, 25-14, 25-17 in Red River Athletic Conference women's volleyball.
The Gold Nuggets (8-4 overall, 5-0 RRAC)
and the Mustangs (0-13, 0-3) will meet at noon CDT Saturday to conclude their
two-match series.
NAIA All-American
Kennedy Wade
hit .300 with a match-high 13 kills for XULA. Teammate
Stella Dineva had eight kills
and hit .429, and
Taylor Parker had seven kills and hit .600. Parker's percentage
is the highest in a match this season by a Gold Nugget with 10-or-more attempts.
Kaitlyn Reynolds had six kills
for Southwest — whose 14-match losing streak dates to November 2022 —
and Alyssa Barrera and Valeria Rodriguez served two aces apiece. Barrera had a match-high 11 digs.
The Gold Nuggets rallied from a 20-17
first-set deficit, but there was less drama thereafter. XULA led 8-1 in the second set
and 7-2 in the third en route to its 55th victory without a loss in regular-season conference matches
at the Convocation Center.
It was the second consecutive match that XULA hit .300.
Injuries, illness and a family wedding
resulted in five Gold Nuggets missing the match. Freshman
Olivia Jackson filled in at libero
for three-time RRAC Defensive Player of the Week
Ruxandra Flueras and had a team-high 10 digs.
Six-time dean's list student
Emi Riglioni played for the first time this season
and led XULA with two aces.
XULA limited the Mustangs to .000 hitting and
had advantages of 39-19 in kills, 39-30 in digs and 6-4 in blocks. But the Gold
Nuggets produced a season-worst 15 service errors and reached double figures for the eighth time this season.
XULA remained in a first-place tie in the RRAC
with defending regular-season champion Our Lady of the Lake — the Saints won 25-15,
25-21, 22-25, 25-12 at Paul Quinn — and Texas A&M-Texarkana, which won
25-22, 18-25, 25-17, 25-18 at home against Louisiana Christian.
The Texas College at Huston-Tillotson series was postponed.
