Pieri becomes GCAC all-time leader; Reuther wins third

Matt Pieri

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Matt Pieri became the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference's all-time leader with his ninth Runner of the Week award, and Taylor Reuther collected her third Player of the Week honor in women's volleyball.

The conference announced late Monday the honors, which cover competition from Sept. 26-Oct. 2.

Pieri, a junior from New Orleans and a graduate of Brother Martin High School, ran Xavier's fastest 8,000 meters — 26 minutes, 51.1 seconds — since Farris Gransberry set the school record of 25:54 in 1998. Pieri broke a tie with Spring Hill female Kate Imwalle for the conference mark. Pieri won the award once as a freshman, five times as a sophomore and three times this season.

Pieri placed 21st out of 98 runners Saturday in the Gulf Coast Stampede at Pensacola, Fla., and led the Gold Rush to fifth place out of 13 schools.

Taylor Reuther

Reuther, a freshman from Metairie, La., and a graduate of St. Mary's Dominican High School, is the first XU volleyball player to be GCAC Player of the Week three times. Reuther produced kill-dig double-doubles in both of the Gold Nuggets' matches, including 19 kills and a season-high 21 digs Saturday in a 24-26, 25-16, 25-12, 25-18 victory at defending GCAC Tournament champion Dillard. It was the first time in 29 tries that Xavier won on an opponent's floor after losing the first set.

Xavier's next cross country meet will be the University of Dallas Invitational at Irving, Texas, on Saturday morning. Xavier's volleyball team, winner of nine of its last 10 matches, will play NCAA Division I opponents at The Barn on consecutive days — 7 p.m. Wednesday against the University of New Orleans and 5 p.m. Thursday against Prairie View A&M. It will be Breast Cancer Night at the UNO match, with raffles for prizes and proceeds donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, the global leader of the breast cancer movement.


By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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