XU sweeps SUNO, earns GCAC Tournament three-peat

Xavier defeated SUNO 25-23, 25-18, 25-15 in the GCAC Tournament final.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Xavier University of Louisiana defeated SUNO 25-23, 25-18, 25-15 on Saturday to win the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament in women's volleyball for the third consecutive year.

Tournament MVP Claudia Haywood and Moira Kirk had 10 kills and two blocks apiece for the Gold Nuggets (26-7), who increased their school-record win streak to 20 and earned a third consecutive automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship.

Teammates Taylor Reuther and Chinedu Echebelem joined Haywood on the all-tournament team. Reuther had nine kills, a block and an ace, and Echebelem had seven kills. It was the third consecutive year for Reuther and the second straight year for Echebelem to be named all-tournament.

Three times Xavier trailed by three points in the opening set -- the last at 19-16 -- before scoring nine of the final 13 points. Kirk's kill put the Gold Nuggets ahead to stay at 23-22, and she clinched the set on her sixth kill.

SUNO (16-13) scored the first point of the second set, but that was the last time Xavier trailed. The Gold Nuggets scored the next six points -- on three SUNO errors, a kill and a block from Kirk and an ace by Franziska Pirkl -- and led 18-12 after Reuther's consecutive kills.

Consecutive blocks by Jodi Hill, Haywood and Kirk gave Xavier a 9-2 lead in the final set. Haywood and Reuther had four kills apiece, and Haywood ended the match with a kill.

An early first-set dig by Reuther gave her 1,000 for her career. The junior outside hitter reached 1,000 career kills earlier in the season.

"This was a really great weekend for us," said first-year XU head coach Hannah Lawing, an assistant on the 2012 team. "Everyone got playing time at some point or another. Every win we acquired was a team effort. Whoever was on the court or on the bench was completely involved at all times, I think that was the biggest accomplishment for us this weekend.

"We were fully united for three full matches in a row. If I could nominate every one of my players for the all-tournament team, I would."

The Gold Nuggets have won 43 consecutive matches against GCAC opponents, 11 in the tournament. The Nuggets tied a school record with their 11th consecutive road victory.

Xavier beat SUNO in the final for the second time in three years. It was the Lady Knights' third appearance in four years in the championship round.

NAIA National Championship pairings will be announced Nov. 18, and first-round matches will be played Nov. 23.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA