Nuggets defeat Lady Panthers to reach 20 wins again

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana shared the work — seven players hit .400 or higher, five collected five or more kills — in a 25-7, 25-16, 25-16 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference volleyball victory against Philander Smith.
     
The Gold Nuggets (20-6, 10-0) remained in a first-place tie in the GCAC with Tougaloo, a 25-14, 25-21, 25-11 home victor Monday against Rust. XULA will play Tougaloo twice to close the regular season: Nov. 1 at XULA and Nov. 4 at Tougaloo.     



XULA reached 20 victories for the second straight season and the sixth time in eight years. The Gold Nuggets will try for all-time victory No. 200 in a 1 p.m. Saturday GCAC match against Talladega at the Convocation Center.
     
Jaida Dowd and Kayla Black had eight kills apiece for the Gold Nuggets, Angele McClain had seven, and Adili Rikondja, Vivica Price-Spraggins and Marine Angely had five apiece. Dowd hit .667, Aikondja .556, McClain .545 and Tiffany Phillips .500.
     
Eva Le Guillou (20 assists) and Phillips (16) shared the setting duties. Angely served a career-best five aces, and Black served two. McClain had four blocks, and Price-Spraggins, Phillips and Elena Duru had two apiece. Beatrice Formilan produced a match-high nine digs, and Taylor Ducros, Black and Phillips had five digs apiece.
     
Regine Simmons had nine kills and Chelsea Fagan eight for the Lady Panthers (3-16, 1-10), and Nylah Lloyd had five blocks.

BOX SCORE
     
"We get our best from every opponent," XULA coach Pat Kendrick said. "I thought Philander Smith played well and made us work hard to put them away."
     
XULA hit .619 in the first set and finished the match at .380. It was the 13th time this season the Gold Nuggets hit .300 or higher. Philander Smith hit .099. XULA had advantages of 43-25 in kills, 9-0 in aces and 38-31 in digs.
     
XULA hit .326 or higher in its last nine victories and 11 of its last 12.
     
Black joined Taylor Reuther as the only XULA sophomores to reach 300 kills. Black has 305; Reuther finished with 356 in 2012.
     
XULA's overall home win streak is seven. Its home win streak against GCAC opponents is 46 — 44 in the regular season, two in the tournament. The Gold Nuggets have not lost at home to a GCAC opponent since 2010.

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