FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Sydney Murray, playing in her home state, hit .444 with 14 kills and two aces Friday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana in a 25-19, 25-22, 25-17 women's volleyball victory against host Saint Francis in the Onset Invitational.
        The Gold Nuggets will play three more times in this event: Friday at 3:30 p.m. against NAIA No. 16 IU Kokomo and Saturday at 9 a.m. against IU East and 1:15 p.m. against Columbia International. Times are Eastern Daylight.
        Murray — a junior outside hitter from Indianapolis and second-team All-Red River Athletic Conference a year ago — produced 10 kills in the first two sets.
        Freshman Kamea Uitenham started and had nine kills, two aces, eight digs and two blocks. Ruxandra Flueras had 14 digs, Taylor Parker had four blocks, and another freshman, Felise Jones, served three aces.
        Joining Murray, Uitenham and Parker in the starting lineup were Kennedy Campbell, Stella Dineva and Bengisu Kazazlar. Campbell, a freshman, had two kills and three blocks. Kazazlar and Jones had 14 assists apiece.
        XULA rallied from a 10-7 first-set deficit, scored the final three points of the second set — Campbell and Laila Person closed with a block — and never trailed in the third. Uitenham and Parker ended the match with kills.
        It's the first time the Gold Nuggets won on an opponent's court in a season opener. They were 0-5 before Friday. All-time XULA is 6-11 in openers.
        Teigen Fortkamp had seven kills, seven assists and six digs for the Cougars (2-4). XULA outhit Saint Francis .283 to .103.