Thursday, November 13, 2014

XU Nuggets produce 3 All-GCAC first-team selections


Nuggets produce 3 All-GCAC

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana's Chinedu Echebelem, Claudia Haywood and Franziska Pirkl have been chosen first-team All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference in women's volleyball.

A fourth XU student-athlete, Darian Harris, was selected to the All-GCAC second team.

The conference announced its All-GCAC players Wednesday, two days before the start of its postseason tournament. The conference's eight head coaches chose the teams.

Echebelem, a senior outside hitter from Dallas and a graduate of Duncanville High School, is all-conference for the third time and on the first team for the second time. Echebelem has 187 kills, 217 digs, 14 blocks, seven aces and a .208 hitting percentage in 19 matches this season.

Pirkl, a junior setter from Anchorage, Alaska, and a graduate of Theolinden Gymnasium, is All-GCAC first team for the third consecutive year. She has 692 assists, 57 kills, 30 aces, 22 blocks, 171 digs and a .223 hitting percentage in 23 matches. Pirkl ranks second in the conference in assists per set.

Haywood, a junior middle blocker from Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Cordova High School, is All-GCAC for the first time. Haywood ranks second in the GCAC and 49th in the NAIA with a .301 hitting percentage. She has 208 kills and 46 blocks in 23 matches.

Harris, a junior libero from Gretna, La., and a graduate of McGehee School, earned her first All-GCAC recognition. Harris had 316 digs and 13 aces in 23 matches and is third in the conference in digs per set. She produced 31 digs in a four-set home victory against Wiley on Sept. 9.

The GCAC will announce its Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Coach of the Year at a banquet for the tournament teams Thursday evening.

Xavier, the GCAC's regular-season champion for the fourth consecutive year, will play in the tournament semifinals at 3 p.m. Friday at XU's Convocation Center. The Gold Nuggets await the winner of a noon quarterfinal match between Philander Smith and Talladega.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director



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