Chinedu Echebelem had nine kills for the Gold Nuggets (2-2), and Taylor Reuther had five kills, eight digs and three aces. Celeste Poe served a career-high-tying four aces and had nine digs.
Xavier served 14 aces and had a .200 attack percentage, both season bests. The Gold Nuggets are 2-0 at home for the first time in the program's four-year history.
Judson is 4-2.
The Nuggets served six first-set aces — three by Poe during a 9-0 run, two in a row by Kirk to give Xavier a 19-10 lead, and the last by Reuther to end the set. Kirk served three consecutive aces to give Xavier a 16-6 lead in the second set.
Judson offered its most resistance in the final set, leading 6-4 and 11-10 before Xavier scored 12 of the final 16 points to break out of a 13-all tie. Three Kirk kills and a Joyy Joseph ace keyed an 8-0 run which gave the Nuggets their first of two match points.
Kirk's attack percentage and aces are the best by a Xavier player in a match this season. She entered the match with one ace this season.
Xavier is 3-0 all-time against Judson and will visit the Eagles on Oct. 15.
The Nuggets will continue a busy stretch — four matches in five days — when they travel to Alcorn State for a 7 p.m. Friday contest. Xavier will play Mississippi Valley at The Barn at 3 p.m. Saturday. Alcorn and MVSU are NCAA Division I opponents.
NOTES: Five freshmen started for Xavier — Kirk, Echebelem, Reuther, Jeanay Butler and Alexandra Rencher . . . Reuther's streak of three consecutive matches with 10 or more kills ended . . . Alcorn will be the first of seven XU matches this season against NCAA D-Is . . . Alcorn is 1-6 after a 22-25, 25-20, 25-14, 25-17 loss Thurs OF day at SUNO, a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference rival of Xavier. Alcorn won in five sets Wednesday at Dillard, the defending GCAC Tournament champion.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITYLOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
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