NAIA kills leader helps 7-0 Badgers defeat Xavier in three

MOBILE, Ala. — Yiting Cao, the NAIA leader in kills per set and a third-team All-American in 2010, had 15 kills, a .542 attack percentage, 12 digs and two aces Tuesday to lead Spring Hill to a 25-10, 25-20, 25-12 women's volleyball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana.

The Badgers, 7-0 for the first time in the program's history, never trailed in any set and outhit the Gold Nuggets .442 to .061. Spring Hill also had advantages of 43-24 in kills, 7-3 in aces and 46-33 in digs.

Taylor Reuther led Xavier (1-2) with 12 kills, three digs and three aces but was denied a third consecutive kill-dig double-double. Moira Kirk had six kills and four digs, and Celeste Poe had nine digs. Alexandra Rencher, a freshman setter playing in her hometown, led the Nuggets with 18 assists.

Four XU errors in the first seven rallies helped Spring Hill grab an 8-1 lead. The Nuggets closed to 9-4 after a Reuther kill, but Cao produced a kill and an ace to start the Badgers on an 8-3 run. Cao finished the set with her sixth kill, three more than Xavier.

Xavier and Spring Hill traded points on the first 14 rallies of the second set, then consecutive kills by Megan Haber, Sha Sha Buchanan and Cao put Spring Hill ahead to stay at 10-7. Xavier was within 16-14 after Reuther's kill and consecutive aces, but three Cao kills helped the Badgers clinch.

Abbey Roam led the Badgers in the final set with four kills, including the match-ending attack.

Buchanan finished with 12 kills, a .611 attack percentage and three aces. Roam had seven kills and 12 digs.

Spring Hill is 34-5 since the start of the 2010 season and has won 14 of its last 15 at home. The Badgers are 10-0 all-time against Xavier and have the most victories of any XU opponent.

It was Xavier's third consecutive match against a Southern States Athletic Conference opponent to start the season, but it was the first time the Nuggets failed to win a set. They lost in five sets at Belhaven on Aug. 26 and defeated Mobile in five at The Barn on Aug. 29. Spring Hill has lost just one set this season.

Xavier will play Judson (Ala.) at 7 p.m. Thursday at The Barn in the first of three matches in as many days. The Nuggets will travel to Alcorn State on Friday and play Mississippi Valley at 3 p.m. Saturday at The Barn.

NOTES: XU's match against Judson will be White Out Night — fans are encouraged to wear a white shirt Thursday . . . Spring Hill received four points in the Tachikara-NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll announced Tuesday and ranked 39th overall . . . Xavier will play four of its next five matches at home.

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By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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