XU Nuggets win at SUNO for sole possession of GCAC lead

Chinedu Echebelem

Taylor Reuther

NEW ORLEANS -- Taylor Reuther and Chinedu Echebelem had 12 kills apiece Tuesday, and Moira Kirk had a season-high nine blocks to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 25-18, 26-24, 23-25, 25-20 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's volleyball victory against SUNO at The Castle.

The victory was the seventh in a row for the Gold Nuggets (13-7, 5-0), who snapped the eight-match win streak of the Lady Knights (10-7, 6-1) and grabbed sole possession of first place in the conference. Xavier has won 27 consecutive GCAC regular-season matches and 33 straight against GCAC opponents -- 25 in the regular season, eight in the tournament.

Reuther (21 digs) and Echebelem (12) both recorded double-doubles. It was Reuther's 14th double-double of 2013 -- the most in a season by an XU player since the program resumed in 2010 -- and the 37th of her career. Echebelem has five double-doubles this season and 13 in her career.

Kirk's blocks were one less than her career best of a year ago. She has recorded at least one block in 74-of-80 XU matches.

Xavier rallied from a 21-17 deficit to win the second set, but the Gold Nuggets kept SUNO in the match by losing a 19-14 lead in the third. Two Echebelem kills and two by Kirk helped Xavier end the match after a fourth-set tie at 18.

Moira Kirk

Kirk had nine kills, and teammates Claudia Haywood and Jodi Hill had seven apiece. CeCe Williams had 17 digs, Franziska Pirkl 16 and Jodi Chatters 12
for Xavier. Pirkl had 41 assists in her fifth double-double of the season and 10th of her career.

Delores Tyler had 12 kills, Sabrina Scott 11 and Jana Reininghaus 10 for SUNO. Ana Privat had 23 digs.

Xavier outhit SUNO .237 to .114.

"We worked through a lot of inconsistencies and errors throughout the night," XU coach Hannah Lawing said."Although we made some mistakes, we did a good job at controlling our energy and attitude. We put up a really great block for our defense to work around, and we served tough. Winning is great, but we still have work to do."

Xavier's next match will start at 1 p.m. Saturday against GCAC opponent Philander Smith in Little Rock, Ark. The Gold Nuggets would tie the school record for consecutive victories by beating the Lady Panthers.

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