Nuggets gain first-ever season sweep of Spring Hill

XAVIER UNIVERSITY VOLLEYBALL ROSTER

MOBILE, Alabama — Kayla Black had 10 kills and 12 digs, and Xavier University of Louisiana outhit Spring Hill by nearly 200 points in a 25-19, 25-20, 25-17 volleyball victory Thursday.
     
The Gold Nuggets (14-2) snapped the 15-match win streak of the Badgers (16-3) and swept the regular-season series for the first time. XULA, which won in four sets at home Sept. 7, was 0-19 against Spring Hill entering the season.
     
"We served tough, and I thought we did a great job blocking," XULA coach Pat Kendrick said. "We gathered ourselves and refocused quickly after making mistakes."
     
Black, a freshman, hit .296 in 27 attacks and produced her fifth double-double of the season.
     
Six Gold Nuggets had five-or-more kills. Jaida Dowd and Juliana Tomasoni had eight apiece, Lauryn Taylor and Adili Rikondja had six apiece, and Vivica Price-Spraggins had five. Dowd (.462 in 13 attacks) and Rikondja (.357 in 15 attacks) were the most efficient.
     
All 45 of XULA's kills were assisted. Tiffany Phillips had 17 assists, and Eva Le Guillou had 16. Le Guillou, Tomasoni and Anna Dalla Vecchia served two aces apiece. Dalla Vecchia had 23 digs — her most this season in a three-set match — Tomasoni had 11, and Le Guillou had nine. Price-Spraggins had three blocks.
     
Payton Gidney, Allison Weimer and Emily Greim had five kills apiece for Spring Hill. Emmarose Neibert and Cassidi Sterrett had nine digs apiece.
     
XULA limited Spring Hill to season lows of 26 kills and a .117 hitting percentage. The Gold Nuggets hit .297, their second-highest performance on the road this season.B

BOX SCORE
     
It was matchup of conference leaders — XULA in the NAIA's Gulf Coast Athletic and Spring Hill in NCAA Division II's Southern Intercollegiate Athletic. The Gold Nuggets will stay on the road and play a conference match at 1 p.m. EDT Saturday against Edward Waters at Jacksonville, Fla.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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