2019 Schedule Page
NEW ORLEANS — A school-record 33 regular-season matches, — including August challenges from NAIA powers Viterbo and Missouri Baptist — and a revamped Gulf Coast Athletic Conference schedule await the Xavier University of Louisiana volleyball team.
Pat Kendrick, in her third season at XULA and the 2018 and 2017 Louisiana Coach of the Year, announced the 2019 schedule Monday.
The Gold Nuggets will open Aug. 16-17 with their Early Bird Invitational, the first of two home tournaments in the season's first month. Viterbo — an NAIA national semifinalist a year ago and with an active streak of 39 straight top-10 appearances in the coaches poll — will visit XULA at noon Aug. 17.
XULA will play Missouri Baptist, No. 9 in the 2018 postseason poll, Aug. 24 in the Nuggets' final match of the St. Thomas (Fla.) Invitational.
Both Viterbo (Lydia Xu) and Missouri Baptist (Caterina Cigarini) return 6-foot-4 middle blockers who were first-team All-America in 2018.
"Playing two of the top programs in the country will allow us to get an idea of where XULA volleyball needs to go if we want to be in the national conversation," Kendrick said.
For the first time since 2011, the GCAC regular season will include neutral-site matches. This year's format will consist of matches at dual venues over six weekends.
"Seeing multiple conference teams at the same location will be great for scouting," said Kendrick, whose first two XULA teams won a combined 90-of-91 sets (including tournaments) against GCAC opponents.
Joining XULA and Viterbo in the Early Bird Invitational will be Coastal Georgia, Cumberland and city rival Loyola. Two weeks later (Labor Day weekend), XULA will play host to Mobile, Indiana Tech, Point and Florida Memorial in its fourth Big Easy Blastoff.
XULA will open its GCAC schedule Sept. 14 with matches in Little Rock, Ark., against Philander Smith and Rust. XULA will play host to GCAC group matches Sept. 21 and Oct. 19. City and league rivals SUNO (Oct. 19) and Dillard (Nov. 9) remain on the home schedule.
The GCAC Tournament will be Nov. 15-16, but the venue has yet to be determined. The Gold Nuggets seek their ninth straight GCAC regular-season and tournament championships.
NOTES: This is the 12th season of XULA volleyball . . . XULA was 26-7 overall, 14-0 GCAC in 2018 . . . There will be seven first-time opponents: Bethel (Tenn.), Cumberland, Florida Memorial, Huston-Tillotson, Keiser, Missouri Valley and Viterbo . . . In addition to Viterbo and Missouri Baptist, Coastal Georgia and Wiley (Oct. 11 at Houston) qualified for 2018 NAIA nationals . . . Several more on the schedule were 20-match winners in 2018, including Mobile and Tougaloo (two matches apiece), Indiana Tech, Point, Huston-Tillotaon, St. Thomas (Texas) and Bethel (Tenn.) . . . XULA won 96 of its last 98 GCAC regular-season matches, including the last 27 . . . XULA will play 31-of-33 regular-season matches on Friday or Saturday . . . XULA will play its most-ever matches in August (12), then play its fewest-ever matches in September (seven, all in conference) . . . The Nuggets' nine Saturday home matches will be their most in one season . . . The NAIA preseason top 25 will be announced Aug. 14 . . . All XULA matches at the Convocation Center will be streamed live, same as a year ago.
Xavier University of Louisiana
2019 Women's Volleyball Schedule
Aug. 16 (Fri.): CUMBERLAND, noon (Early Bird Invitational)
Aug. 16 (Fri.): COASTAL GEORGIA, 6 p.m. (Early Bird Invitational)
Aug. 17 (Sat.): VITERBO, noon (Early Bird Invitational)
Aug. 17 (Sat.): LOYOLA (N.O.), 6 p.m. (Early Bird Invitational)
Aug. 22 (Thu.): at St. Thomas (Fla.), 6 p.m. EDT (St. Thomas Invitational, Miami Gardens, Fla.)
Aug. 23 (Fri.): Missouri Valley, 11 a.m. EDT (St. Thomas Invitational, Miami Gardens, Fla.)
Aug. 23 (Fri.): Keiser, 3 p.m. EDT (St. Thomas Invitational, Miami Gardens, Fla.)
Aug. 24 (Sat.): Missouri Baptist, 1 p.m. EDT (St. Thomas Invitational, Miami Gardens, Fla.)
Aug. 30 (Fri.): MOBILE, noon (Big Easy Blastoff)
Aug. 30 (Fri.): INDIANA TECH, 6 p.m. (Big Easy Blastoff)
Aug. 31 (Sat.): POINT, noon (Big Easy Blastoff)
Aug. 31 (Sat.): FLORIDA MEMORIAL, 6 p.m. (Big Easy Blastoff)
Sept. 14 (Sat.) • at Philander Smith, 11 a.m.
Sept. 14 (Sat.) • Rust, 4 p.m. (at Little Rock, Ark.)
Sept. 20 (Fri.) • at Dillard, 6 p.m.
Sept. 21 (Sat.): • EDWARD WATERS, 11 a.m.
Sept. 21 (Sat.): • TALLADEGA, 6 p.m.
Sept. 28 (Sat.) • Tougaloo, 1 p.m. (at SUNO)
Sept. 28 (Sat.) • at SUNO, 6 p.m.
Oct. 4 (Fri.): at Mobile, 3 p.m.
Oct. 5 (Sat.) • Talladega, 1 p.m. EDT (at Jacksonville, Fla.)
Oct. 5 (Sat.) • at Edward Waters, 6 p.m. EDT
Oct. 11 (Fri.): Wiley, 1 p.m. (at Houston)
Oct. 12 (Sat.): Huston-Tillotson, 11 a.m. (at Houston)
Oct. 12 (Sat.): at St. Thomas (Texas), 3 p.m.
Oct. 19 (Sat.): • SUNO, 11 a.m. (Breast Cancer Awareness Day)
Oct. 19 (Sat.): • TOUGALOO, 6 p.m.
Oct. 26 (Sat.): Bethel (Tenn.), 2 p.m. (at Hattiesburg, Miss.)
Oct. 26 (Sat.): at William Carey, 5 p.m.
Nov. 2 (Sat.) • Rust, 1 p.m. (at Dillard)
Nov. 2 (Sat.) • Philander Smith, 4 p.m. (at Dillard)
Nov. 5 (Tue.) at Loyola (N.O.), 6 p.m.
Nov. 9 (Sat.): • DILLARD, 3 p.m. (Senior Day)
Nov. 15-16 (Fri.-Sat.): Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament, site TBA
Nov. 23 (Sat.): NAIA National Championship opening round at campus sites, TBA
Dec. 3-7 (Tue.-Sat.): NAIA National Championship final site at Sioux City, Iowa, TBA
Home matches in BOLD CAPITAL LETTERS
• Gulf Coast Athletic Conference match
All times are Central except where noted
Schedule is subject to change
Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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