Nuggets sweep GCAC awards; Ducros a first-time winner

NEW ORLEANS — Taylor Ducros became the sixth Xavier University of Louisiana volleyball student-athlete of 2018 to receive a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference weekly award when she was chosen Defender of the Week for Oct. 29-Nov. 4.
     
The Gold Nuggets swept the three honors. Kayla Black is Attacker of the Week for the third time this season, and Eva Le Guillou is Setter of the Week for the eighth time. XULA was 3-0 this past week, including two victories against Tougaloo to win the GCAC regular-season championship by two matches over the Lady Bulldogs.
     
Ducros, a junior from the New Orleans suburb of Luling, La., and a graduate of McGehee School, had 36 digs, averaged four digs per set and had no errors in 18 receptions of serve. She produced a match-high 13 digs in the first victory against Tougaloo, then shared match honors the second time against Tougaloo with 11 digs.
     
Ducros helped XULA limit Tougaloo to .027 hitting, including minus-.116 in the first meeting.
     
Black, a sophomore from the Houston suburb of Spring, Texas, and a graduate of St. Pius X High School, hit .367 with 45 kills (5.63 per set) and 19 digs. Black had nine kills in the third set at Tougaloo and finished with match highs of 20 kills and 11 digs. Her 20 kills are a school record in a three-set match.
     
Le Guillou, named the NAIA National Setter of the Week Tuesday, produced 102 assists (12.75 per set) and five aces. A sophomore from Velizy-Villacoublay, France, Le Guillou at Tougaloo set a school record for assists in a three-set match with 45.
     
The GCAC weekly awards are the first for Ducros in volleyball — she also won during the 2017 track and field season — the sixth of Black's career and the 11th of Le Guillou's career. Le Guillou extended her all-sports school record for weekly awards in a season and tied teammate Tiffany Phillips for the most career volleyball awards.
     
The Gold Nuggets (24-6) are the No. 1 seed in the GCAC Tournament at SUNO. They have a first-round bye and will play in the semifinals at 5 p.m. Friday against fourth-seeded Edward Waters or fifth-seeded Talladega. The championship match will start at 2 p.m. Saturday.

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