Fontaine sparkles as Nuggets reach milestone victory

NEW ORLEANS — Monet Fontaine produced a match- and career-high 13 digs on her senior day, and Xavier University of Louisiana reached a milestone victory as it defeated Talladega 25-9, 25-11, 25-9 Saturday.
     
It was the 200th victory for the Gold Nuggets (21-6, 11-0 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference), who are in their 11th season of intercollegiate volleyball. XULA is 200-136 (.595) all-time — 170-63 (.730) in the last eight seasons.
     
Fontaine, who missed the previous nine matches because of injury, had seven kills and two blocks and hit .333 in 15 attacks.
     
"I was happy that we played well for Monet's senior day," XULA coach Pat Kendrick said. "We were fairly steady throughout the match."
     
The Gold Nuggets led 18-4 in the first set and produced runs of 8-0 in the second set and 9-0 and 11-0 in the third.

BOX SCORE
     
Vivica Price-Spraggins had 10 kills, two aces, three blocks and hit .429 in 21 attacks for XULA. Kayla Black had seven kills, six in the first set, and 10 digs. Angele McClain had four blocks, Elena Duru had three blocks, and Beatrice Formilan had eight digs and two aces. Eva Le Guillou had 20 assists and four aces in two sets, and Taylor Ducros served three aces.
     
Reanna Burroughs had four kills for the Lady Tornadoes (15-13, 6-6), and Jennifer Brown served two aces.
     
XULA outhit Talladega .286 to minus-.097 and had advantages of 33-10 in kills, 12-4 in aces, 42-29 in digs and 7-0 in blocks.
     
The Gold Nuggets remained in a first-place tie in the GCAC with Tougaloo, a 25-18, 25-15, 25-13 winner at home against Edward Waters.
     
XULA will play Edward Waters at 6 p.m. Monday at the Convocation Center in the Gold Nuggets' Dig Pink match for breast cancer awareness. XULA Campus Recreation and the College of Pharmacy will sponsor a breast cancer walk at 5:30 p.m. Monday from the University Center to the Convocation Center, and a table for donations to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation will be available during the match. Fans and walk participants are encouraged to wear pink.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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