NAIA women's volleyball coaches poll of Aug. 14, 2024

        NEW ORLEANS — For the second consecutive year, Xavier University of Louisiana women's volleyball is among "others receiving votes" in the NAIA preseason coaches poll.
        The Gold Nuggets have 14 points — their most since Dec. 12, 2019 — and are tied with Bethel (Kan.) for 38th place. XULA was the only Red River Athletic Conference team to earn points.
        XULA was announced Tuesday as the top pick in the RRAC coaches poll.
        XULA in 2023 was 19-8, second place in the RRAC regular season, the RRAC Tournament champion for the third time in as many seasons and an NAIA nationals automatic qualifier for the 13th consecutive year.
        XULA will begin its 17th season with four matches Aug. 23-24 in the Onset Invitational at Fort Wayne, Ind. The Gold Nuggets will open at 11 a.m. EDT Aug. 23 against the host school, Saint Francis, then play 16th-ranked IU Kokomo at 3:30 p.m.
        The Gold Nuggets' first home match will start at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 29 in the Convocation Center against seventh-ranked Columbia (Mo.) in the Big Easy Blastoff. Also in the six-team, three-day, 12-match event are city rival Loyola, Campbellsville, Marian (Ind.) and MidAmerica Nazarene. Loyola and Marian received votes in the poll.