3 Gold Nuggets repeat as All-GCAC first-team selections

Moira Kirk      Taylor Reuther      Franziska Pirkl NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Moira Kirk, Taylor Reuther and Franziska Pirkl are repeat All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference first-team selections in women's volleyball.        Kirk and Reuther are on the first team for third consecutive year, and Pirkl made it for the second time.         Kirk, a junior middle blocker from Dallas and a graduate of Bishop Lynch High School, leads the GCAC this season with a .343 hitting percentage. She has 276 kills, 76 blocks and 14 aces in 30 matches.        Reuther, a junior outside hitter from Metairie, La., and a graduate of St. Mary's Dominican High School, leads the GCAC with 362 kills and 3.6 kills per set. She is hitting .262 with 39 aces and 16 blocks in 30 matches and has recorded 18 kill-dig doubles.      Pirkl, a sophomore setter from Munich, Germany, and a graduate of Theodolinden Gymnasium, is No. 2 in the conference with 741 kills and 8.3 assists per set. She is hitting .328 with 46 kills, 18 aces and 24 blocks and has six assist-dig double-doubles.      Xavier won its third consecutive GCAC regular-season championship last week and extended its three-year win streak against GCAC teams to 40 matches, but the Gold Nuggets were shut out in voting for Player of the Year and Coach of the Year. Those awards went to Zipporah Washington and Naomi Washington, respectively, of second-place SUNO. SUNO's Delores Tyler was named Freshman of the Year. Xavier did not have a nominee for that award.              Reuther was the 2012 GCAC Player of the Year.         Conference awards were announced Wednesday night at a banquet in Little Rock, Ark., prior to the start of the GCAC Tournament. Xavier (23-7) will play Voorhees (2-19) in the quarterfinals at noon Thursday at Philander Smith's Mims Gym. By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director XULAATHLETICS XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA