NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana women's volleyball played arguably its best set of the season, then labored to clinch in a 25-7, 25-23, 25-21 Red River Athletic Conference victory against Southwest (N.M.) Saturday.
        The Gold Nuggets (9-4 overall, 6-0 RRAC) earned their sixth consecutive victory and remained in a first-place tie in the RRAC with Our Lady of the Lake and Texas A&M-Texarkana.
        Kennedy Wade had seven kills, five aces, a block and a match-high 10 kills for XULA. Teammates Sydney Murray and Stella Dineva had six kills apiece.
        Valeria Trevino had 10 kills and hit .318 for the Mustangs (0-14, 0-4), who have lost 15 straight dating to November 2022.
        XULA outhit Southwest .467 to minus-.313 in a first set in which the Gold Nuggets scored 16 of the last 18 points, then struggled to close after building leads of 22-17 in the second set and 19-10 in the third.
        Overall XULA outhit Southwest .205 to .056. The Gold Nuggets, 12th in the NAIA in aces per set, served 11. XULA had a season-low four service errors less than 24 hours after committing a season-worst 15.
        XULA is 56-0 in its Convocation Center in regular-season conference matches. Overall XULA won its last eight matches in the arena and 11 of its last 12.
        Texas A&M-Texarkana won 25-20, 25-8, 25-15 at home against Louisiana Christian, and OLLU won 25-18, 26-24, 25-18 at Paul Quinn. XULA will visit Texas College, and TAMUT will visit OLLU next Friday and Saturday.