Mobile defeats Xavier Gold Nuggets in 4 sets

NEW ORLEANS — Kiara Gay had 14 kills and 10 digs Tuesday, and Sara Van Wert had 12 kills in Mobile's 21-25, 26-24, 25-15, 25-18 women's volleyball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana at The Barn.

The Lady Rams (12-4) have a two-match win streak and six victories in their past seven matches.

Taylor Reuther had 10 kills and 13 digs for the Gold Nuggets (5-4), and Moira Kirk's 10 blocks were the most for Xavier in a match since the program resumed in 2010. Kirk and teammate Chinedu Echebelem had seven kills apiece.

Xavier came back from a 19-16 deficit to win the first set and was aided by eight Mobile errors in the final 10 rallies. The Gold Nuggets rallied again late in the second set — tying the score at 24 after trailing 22-13 — but the Lady Rams ended the set with consecutive kills by Gay and Van Wert. Mobile closed the third set with a 15-5 run, then ended the match on a 12-3 run. The Lady Rams clinched on Bailey Nations' kill.

"We made too many errors," Xavier coach Christabell Hamilton said. "We dug ourselves into too many holes we couldn't get out of."

Mobile had advantages of 48-32 in kills and 12-3 in aces. Xavier committed a season-high 52 errors.

It was the first time in 31 matches that Xavier won the first set but lost the match. And the Nuggets, 8-1 at home a year ago, are 0-2 at home for the first time since 2004.

Xavier will play Edward Waters at 7 p.m. EDT Friday in Jacksonville, Fla., in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opener for both. The Gold Nuggets are the defending GCAC regular-season and tournament champion.

NOTES: Kirk's previous high for blocks in match was seven, which she accomplished three times . . . Reuther's double-double was her fifth of the season and 18th of her career . . . Freshman libero Darian Harris had 10 digs and, like Reuther, reached double figures for the third consecutive match . . . Mobile, a former GCAC member, is 3-0 against GCAC opponents this season. The Lady Rams beat Tougaloo and SUNO in August . . . Xavier wore new gold jerseys with black numbers for the first time . . . In Hamilton's two seasons at Xavier, her teams are 3-7 against Southern States Athletic Conference opponents (1-0 Faulkner, 1-1 Belhaven, 1-2 Mobile, 0-1 Loyola, 0-3 Spring Hill) and 25-4 against everyone else . . . It was just the second time in 14 matches under Hamilton that the Nuggets lost in a match longer than three sets.

Box score

Read more about this match and other sporting events from Xavier at: xulaathletics.


By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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