NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana was picked to finish first in the Red River Athletic Conference 2024 women's volleyball preseason poll of the league's head coaches.
        The RRAC announced the poll Tuesday.
        XULA received 4-of-9 first-place votes and 72 points. Our Lady of the Lake is second with three first-place votes and 69 points. Third-place Texas A&M-Texarkana and fourth-place Louisiana Christian received one first-place vote apiece.
        XULA's returning players from last season include:
        •  Taylor Parker, a 6-foot-2 sophomore middle blocker/right side who last season led the team with a .344 hitting percentage and 115 blocks. Parker was RRAC Tournament MVP and RRAC Freshman of the Year.
        •  Ruxandra Flueras, a 5-4 fifth-year libero who was first-team All-RRAC. Her 5.09 digs per set in 2023 are a XULA season record and the best in the RRAC in the last five seasons.
        •  Stella Dineva, a 6-2 senior outside/hitter who was second-team All-RRAC each of the past two seasons. Dineva produced 217 kills, 34 aces and 51 blocks in 2023.
        •  Bengisu Kazazlar, a 5-9 sophomore setter who was second-team All-RRAC and had team highs of 835 assists and 45 aces.
        •  Sydney Murray, a 5-10 junior outside hitter who in 2023 was second-team All-RRAC and second on the team with 253 kills and 38 aces.
        XULA will travel to Fort Wayne, Ind., for matches Aug. 23-24 in the season-opening Onset Invitational, then play host to Campbellsville, Columbia (Mo.), Marian (Ind.), MidAmerica Nazarene and city rival Loyola in the seventh Big Easy Blastoff Aug. 29-31 at the Convocation Center. This is the Gold Nuggets' 17th volleyball season.
        XULA last season was 19-8, second to OLLU in the RRAC regular season, the RRAC Tournament champion for the third time in as many seasons and an NAIA nationals qualifier for the 13th consecutive year.

RRAC women's volleyball 2024 coaches poll
1. XULA . . . 72 points, four first-place votes
2. Our Lady of the Lake . . . 69 points, three first-place votes
3. Texas A&M-Texarkana . . . 60 points, one first-place vote
4. Louisiana Christian . . . 49 points, one first-place vote
5. Paul Quinn . . . 44 points
6. Jarvis Christian . . . 36 points
7. Southwest (N.M.) . . . 32 points
8. Huston-Tillotson . . . 23 points
9. Texas College . . . 20 points