XU Nuggets earn 62nd straight win against GCAC opposition

NEW ORLEANS -- Senior middle blockers Claudia Haywood and Jodi Hill combined for 17 kills and a .519 hitting percentage Saturday, leading Xavier University of Louisiana to a 25-7, 25-9, 25-16 decision against Tougaloo that extended the Gold Nuggets' volleyball win streak against Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opponents to 62 matches.

The Gold Nuggets (7-4, 3-0 GCAC) extended their overall season win streak to five. Their GCAC streak includes 50 victories in the regular season.

Hill had six first-set kills, and Haywood had six in the final set. For the match, Haywood hit a season-best .615 with a season-high-tying nine kills and one error in 13 attacks, and Hill had eight kills and two errors in 14 attacks for a .429 percentage. Haywood and Kayla Jones served their first aces of the season.

"We did a good job with serve-receive and getting first-ball kills," XU coach Hannah Lawing said.

The Gold Nuggets hit a season-best .333 and had their best day defensively, limiting the Lady Bulldogs (5-8, 1-2) to minus-.179. Through three conference matches, Xavier is outhitting opponents .281 to minus-.071.

CeCe Williams and Ruby Hunt-Thompson had five kills apiece for Xavier, and Hunt-Thompson had three blocks. Darian Harris led the back row with six digs. Franziska Pirkl had 15 assists and Ralitsa Hadzhistoyanova had 10 -- the third consecutive match and the fourth time in five matches that both reached double figures. But handling the third-set setting was freshman walk-on Arielle Sears, who racked up six assists in her collegiate debut.

Xavier produced advantages of 38-11 in kills, 4-0 in aces and 33-21 in digs. Chassidy Harris had three kills for Tougaloo, which is 0-11 all-time against Xavier, and Obadiah Montgomery had three blocks. The teams will meet again Oct. 24 at Tougaloo, Miss.

Xavier's next match will start at 7 p.m. Tuesday against longtime GCAC and city rival Dillard (2-9, 1-0) at XU's Convocation Center. Admission is free.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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