Xavier aces initial test in new facility, beats Voorhees in 3

NEW ORLEANS — Bolstered by season highs in hitting percentage and aces, the Xavier University of Louisiana women's volleyball team made a successful debut in the Convocation Center with a 25-14, 25-9, 25-8 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference victory against Voorhees on Saturday.
    
The Gold Nuggets (7-7, 1-0), the two-time defending GCAC regular-season and tournament champion, hit .439 and served 15 aces to extend their winning streak against GCAC opponents to 29. The Lady Tigers (1-4, 0-3), who joined the GCAC in July, dropped their fourth straight and lost for the second consecutive day.
    
Juniors Taylor Reuther, Chinedu Echebelem and Moira Kirk combined for 24 of Xavier's 37 kills and hit a combined .552. Reuther had nine kills and hit .438, Kirk had eight kills and hit .500, and Echebelem hit .875 with seven kills and no errors in eight attacks.
    
The Reuthers — Taylor and younger sister Emily, a freshman — combined for nine aces. Taylor's six aces were a season high, and Emily's three were a career high. Echebelem also reached a career best with four aces.
    
Xavier trailed 4-2 in the opening set before scoring eight of the next nine points to take a 10-5 lead. Echebelem served consecutive aces during a 6-0 run to give the Gold Nuggets an 18-10 lead, and Taylor Reuther ended the set with an ace.
    
Echebelem had two more aces during a 6-0 run to open the second set, and four Taylor Reuther aces extended the Gold Nuggets' lead to 16-3. Echebelem had four kills during a 10-0 run in the third set, and Kirk ended the match with consecutive kills.
    
The Gold Nuggets limited Voorhees to a minus-.065 hitting percentage: 10 kills and 13 errors in 46 attempts. Zakiyyah King led the Lady Tigers with four kills and four digs.
    
Xavier served its most aces in a home match since collecting 16 against Judson (Ala.) on Oct. 15, 2010.
    
The Convocation Center is a $25 million facility which seats nearly 4,000 and opened to the public in November. It replaced The Barn, which opened in 1937 and was razed in May. The Gold Nuggets were 27-24 in five seasons at The Barn, 14-4 the past two years.
    
The Gold Nuggets will continue a three-match home stand with a 7 p.m. Monday match against GCAC opponent Fisk. Xavier will play host to city rival Loyola at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Box Score

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