MEAC/SWAC SPORTS MAIN STREET&#8482;

Gold Rush are 2-0 after defeating Carver 98-87

Facebook photos

NEW ORLEANS (Oct. 31) -- Anthony Goode scored 25 points Friday to lead NAIA No. 13 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 98-87 men's basketball victory against Carver College.

Goode became the first Gold Rush player since Jarrel Lake in 2007-08 to reach 20 points in each of the first two games. It's the first time since 1991-92 that Xavier opened the season with back-to-back 90-point games.

Xavier is 2-0 for the 12th consecutive season, and Carver is 0-1.

Morris Wright scored 19 points for Xavier. Jarvis Thibodeaux scored a career-high 17 points for the second straight game, and RJ Daniels recorded his first collegiate double-double, 16 points and a career-best 13 rebounds.

Donovan Gardner scored all 21 of his points in the second half for Carver. Troy Swanson scored 20, Jamil Saaka 13, Emmanuel Griffin 12 and Julian Bratton 10.

Wright's 3-pointer at 7:53 of the first half put the Gold Rush ahead to stay, 28-25. Xavier led 46-35 at halftime and held its biggest advantage, 69-53, after Troy Salvant's 3-point play with 9:05 remaining.

Gardner's sixth 3-pointer of the half trimmed Xavier's lead to 92-87 with 27 seconds remaining.

The Cougars made 14 3-pointers -- Swanson had four -- and Xavier made 10. Goode and Wright made three treys apiece, and Gary Smith made two.

Xavier outshot the Cougars 52.5 to 41.9 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 44-30. Xavier made 26-of-30 free throws, and Carver made 11-of-20.

Xavier will visit Belhaven at 7 p.m. Monday and play its next home game at 6 p.m. Thursday against Albany State.

Box score

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

XULAATHLETICS

Friday, October 31, 2014

GSU looking to solve Texas woes

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Grambling wants to distance itself as far away from the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship title talk as possible, but if the Tigers even remotely want a chance to hoist the trophy come December they'll first need to learn how to win in Texas.

Grambling travels to Houston, the site of the 2014 SWAC Championship game, on Saturday to play Texas Southern at BBVA Compass Stadium, a place where the Tigers haven't won since 2008.

In fact, Grambling is 1-10 in the state of Texas dating back to 2009. The Tigers snapped a 10-game losing streak earlier this season when they pulled out a 26-20 win over Prairie View A&M in the State Fair Classic in Dallas.

"We're grateful and thankful we're in ...

CONTINUE READING

DWIGHT FLOYD COMMENTARY -- FAMU Athletics: Creating Order Out of Chaos

DWIGHT FLOYD
from THE EDITOR

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- I remember 14 years ago when I was tasked with a project that was crumbling and about to fail. Things were chaotic and people were at odds with each other, mostly angry at leadership. There were also attempts by underlings to undermine persons in leadership and take the leadership role.

Over a short period of time I became that leader by circumstance, establishing a successful team by rebuilding the staff and developing a program that has surpassed the shared vision of 14 years ago. In the process I have made and continue to make some mistakes for which I own up to; and I continue to see many successes.

As I view the state of affairs within the athletic department at Florida A&M University, I see much of the chaos that I remember. Over the span of a period that has lasted more than 14 years, athletic directors have come and gone with little progress. Yes, there have been ...

CONTINUE READING

NSU's Riddick draws notice from the NFL

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Norfolk State defensive lineman George Riddick opened a pre-practice interview this week by acknowledging the impact D-line coach Mark Thurston has had on his career.

It was a veteran move, as Riddick spotted Thurston lingering on the periphery. But it was hardly out of character for a player who routinely deflects any credit that comes his way despite standing out on a defense full of stars.

A 6-foot-3, 295-pound senior from Suffolk, Riddick has used his eye-popping explosiveness to pile up 45 tackles and a team-leading six sacks. His numbers, which include 7-1/2 tackles for loss, are especially impressive considering he has to share stats with tackle-hogging linebackers Marcell Coke, Deon King, Lynden Trail and Lamar Neal, who have combined for a staggering 242 stops in eight games.

Riddick serves as the first line of defense on a unit that is second in the MEAC in yardage and points allowed entering Saturday's game at Florida A&M. And thanks to NFL scouts' growing interest in Trail, Riddick is starting to get noticed, too.

CONTINUE READING

Norfolk State's Lynden Trail getting NFL attention

NORFOLK, Virginia -- There are a number of great players in HBCU football. There’s no question about that. However, Norfolk State senior linebacker Lynden Trail has put himself in a very special category with his brilliant play the last two seasons.

Trail, a 6-foot-7, 250-pounder, can do it all. He has the size, speed and experience to play the pass as well as the run, and he knows how to pick his spots in terms of rushing the passer. These qualities have made him a candidate for the Buck Buchanan Award, which is presented annually to the top defensive player at the FCS level.

In addition, NFL scouts have been coming out in droves to see the Spartans' talented defensive player. Trail has attracted nearly every NFL team to Norfolk to watch him play the game at an extremely high level. Some scouts have even come several times to see him..

CONTINUE READING

Grambling gets back to work

HEAD COACH BRODERICK FOBBS

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Grambling’s football program has an unwritten rule inside its locker room — don’t look at the standings.

As far as the Tigers are concerned, they’re 0-0 despite their name atop the Southwestern Athletic Conference leaderboard with a 5-0 conference record.

Try telling that to the rapid fan base of Gramblinites who spent the last week congratulating players and coaches on their season so far.

Internally, they’ve accomplished nothing until a championship trophy sits in Grambling’s case next to the one from 2011.

“They understand it’s not over and it’s not going to be over until we’re standing there in Houston at the end of the season with the SWAC Championship trophy above our head,” Grambling cornerbacks coach Bryan Ware said.

CONTINUE READING

ASU gives Reggie Barlow new contract, $32K raise

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State officials have rewarded football coach Reggie Barlow with a new contract, raising his salary while extending his contract through Dec. 31, 2017.

His old contract, which he signed when he became head coach in 2007, was extended once and due to run out Dec. 31. The new one, obtained through a Freedom of Information request by the Montgomery Advertiser, became effective on Sept. 9 and includes a $32,000 raise – his first since taking over the head coaching reins.

"The football program, over the last four years, has won 30-plus games," ASU athletic director Melvin Hines said. "So coach Barlow has proven himself on the field with four straight winning seasons. I believe that's the first time in more than 30 years that we've had four straight winning seasons.

"We felt as though Coach has the program headed in the right direction, so we rewarded him for that by extending his contract for another three years. That also helps him keep his program at that level by being able to recruit. Kids want to know they're playing for a coach at the institution."

CONTINUE READING

Thursday, October 30, 2014

XU beats SUNO, clinches tie for GCAC championship

NEW ORLEANS -- Senior Chinedu Echebelem had nine kills and 17 digs Thursday, and an improved Xavier University of Louisiana defense keyed a 26-24, 25-12, 25-20 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's volleyball victory against SUNO at XU's Convocation Center.

The Gold Nuggets (16-4, 12-0) clinched a tie for their fourth consecutive GCAC regular-season championship. Xavier needs one victory in its final two conference matches to win the title outright. Xavier clinched the No. 1 seed for next month's GCAC Tournament.

Echebelem's kill after four XU digs ended the first set, and Echebelem and Jodi Hill ended the match with a block of a SUNO attack.

Xavier trailed 15-12 and 18-16 in the final set.

In the opening set, SUNO rallied from an 18-10 deficit to tie at 22 and 24. Jada Broussard had five kills in a 14-4 XU run to close the second set.

Xavier, outhit .202 to .144 in its five-set victory at SUNO on Oct. 1, outhit the Lady Knights .207 to .089 this time. SUNO (22-9, 11-2) entered the match ranked 13th in the NAIA with a .253 hitting percentage and was hitting .326 in GCAC matches.

Broussard and Claudia Haywood had seven kills apiece for Xavier. Darian Harris had 12 digs, and Hill had three blocks. Setter Franziska Pirkl had three kills, 26 assists, an ace and seven digs.

Xavier committed 19 total errors, and SUNO made 38.

"This past week we watched a lot of video and trained really hard," XU coach Hannah Lawing said. "Last time we played SUNO, we struggled with our hitting and could not find a way to put the ball down. We worked really hard on seeing where the open spots were on the other side of the court tonight. We had to stop being egotistical and trying to hit every ball as hard as we could. If we needed points on tip shots, we went for it."

Andrea Titonea had 11 kills and Christal Hollins nine for SUNO. Milica Golubovic and Ana Privat had 12 digs apiece.

The victory was the fifth in a row for the Gold Nuggets, who snapped SUNO's season-best six-game win streak. Xavier has won 55 consecutive matches against GCAC opponents -- 46 in the regular season -- and 53
straight against HBCUs.

Xavier will go for an outright GCAC championship in a noon match against Philander Smith at Little Rock, Ark. Xavier's next home match will start at 10 a.m. in the GCAC Tournament quarterfinals on Nov. 14.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

XULAATHLETICS

TSU Tigers Set to Host No. 16 EKU for Senior Day

WATCH LIVE | LISTEN LIVE | LIVE STATS | GAME NOTES

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Tennessee State football team will host No. 16 Eastern Kentucky on Saturday, Nov. 1 for Big Blue’s Senior Day.

Scouting TSU
TSU is 4-5 on the season overall, and 1-4 in Ohio Valley Conference games. Big Blue has also lost the last four contests for only the second time in many of these seniors’ careers.

Scouting EKU
For EKU (7-1, 4-1 OVC), the Colonels enter today’s game nationally ranked and fresh off of a, 33-21, win over Southeast Missouri last Saturday.

Three Keys to the Game

Improve on Third Down
TSU enters Saturday’s contest 84^th in the FCS, having converted just 34 percent of third downs this season. Last week, the Tigers were just 3-of-13 (23 percent) on third downs against Eastern Illinois, its second-lowest output of the season. TSU averaged just 3.5 yards on those 13 tries put needed an average of 6.3. A more successful running game production on first and second down could dramatically help the Tigers on third down.

Control Mobley
EKU running back Dy’Shawn Mobley has been the best ball-carrier in the OVC this season and leads the league in yards (922), touchdowns (11), attempts (143) and yards per carry (6.4). On paper, Mobley is a sure-fire lock for OVC Offensive Player of the year, but he still has not faced TSU. The Tigers boast the second-best rush defense in the conference (140.7 yards per game) and the best total defense (123.8). However, TSU has had a problem with feature backs this year including giving up 130 yards to Shepard Little last week and 170 to Malcolm Cyrus against Alabama State. All eyes will be on Mobley, Saturday, so expect the Tigers to come up with a spirited game plan against EKU.

Win it for the Seniors
This year’s senior class has been one of the winningest in recent memory, posting 27 in the past 3.5 years. Should the Tigers win the next three contests, they will finish with three straight winning seasons, becoming the first group since 1984-86 to accomplish the feat. The class features some of the most prolific players to wear a Tiger uniform like Nick Thrasher who is second all-time in tackles and Mike German who is in the top-five of every passing category. Saturday marks their, and the 20 other graduating Tigers’, last game in front of their home fans.

The Tigers are 5-21 all-time against EKU, but have won the last two meetings in Nashville including 2012’s, 23-20, thriller at Hale Stadium.

Saturday’s game will kickoff at 2 p.m. and fans can watch all the action on ESPN3.com.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

TSU Women's Basketball Media Guide Available Online

2014-15 TSU LADY TIGER MEDIA GUIDE POWERED BY ISSUU

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The 2014-15 Tennessee State University women's basketball media guide is now available online. The guide is a publication of the TSU Athletic Media Relations Office. Read up on this year's Lady Tiger team and coaches as well as recaps from last season.

For the full PDF version CLICK HERE

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

13th-ranked XU Rush stretch win streak in openers to 19

NEW ORLEANS -- Senior guard Anthony Goode scored 20 points Wednesday to lead NAIA No. 13 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 93-82 men's basketball victory against Behaven.

It was the 19th consecutive season that the Gold Rush won the opening game.

Goode, who averaged 10.1 points last season, was 6-of-10 from the floor, 2-of-5 on 3-pointers and 6-of-7 from the line in 24 1/2 minutes. He had three assists and blocked two shots.

Jarvis Thibodeaux scored a career-high 17 points for the Gold Rush, and Troy Salvant -- a 26-year-old freshman guard who spent the past seven years in the Army -- scored 13.

Jordan Bedford made six 3-pointers and scored 26 points for the Blazers (0-1). Jerrial Dawson scored 14, and Kyle Patterson had 11.

Gary Smith's 3-pointer at 15:00 of the first half put the Gold Rush ahead to stay, 13-10. Xavier led 47-40 at halftime and held its biggest lead, 74-50, on Josh Freeman's free throw with 9:57 remaining.

Xavier outshot the Blazers 51.7 to 47.3 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 36-28. Belhaven made 11 3-pointers.

"It was an exciting game for the fans with all those points scored," XU coach Dannton Jackson said. "We probably had a few jitters. I'm glad we got this one behind us.

"What I liked most was that we showed the ability to put points on the board. Our two all-conference players (Sydney Coleman and Morris Wright) did not play well and we still put a lot of points on the board."

Xavier will play host to Carver College at 7 p.m. Friday. Belhaven's next game will be its home opener, 7 p.m. Monday against Xavier.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

XULAATHLETICS

Update: Al Lawson blasts FAMU for firing Earl Holmes

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Former state Sen. Al Lawson, a Florida A&M alum whose name graces the university's state-of-the-art arena, pulled no punches in discussing his opinions on the firing of head coach Earl Holmes.

During a meeting of the 220 Quarterback Club on Wednesday, Lawson called athletic director Kellen Winslow Sr. "disrespectful" and said removing Holmes during the week of homecoming was "wrong."

"There's no one – not even in high school – that would interrupt homecoming," he said.

"A competent athletic director would have called someone in ... he wouldn't have sent a letter."

Lawson went on to say there is "no commitment" from the leadership of the athletic department.

CONTINUE READING

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Florida A&M fires Holmes, promotes Fuller

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M football coach Earl Holmes slowly walked from the field house to his black SUV in the parking lot Tuesday afternoon, stopping to shake hands and share hugs with players.

Holmes also spoke briefly to the Democrat before driving away after he was informed he was fired by the university earlier Tuesday, four days before the Rattlers’ homecoming game.

“As a Hall of Famer — FAMU Hall of Fame and MEAC Hall of Fame — on homecoming weekend… I don’t know,” Holmes said while shaking his head.

“I’m amazed. Amazed.”

Holmes, 41, considered one of the program’s all-time great players, couldn’t duplicate that magic as the Rattlers’ head coach.

CONTINUE READING

Florida A&M fires coach before Spartans' visit

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Coach Pete Adrian said Tuesday's dismissal of Florida A&M coach Earl Holmes won't affect NSU's game plan when the teams meet Saturday.

Holmes, a former NFL linebacker and a member of the FAMU's Sports Hall of Fame, was fired after going 6-16 in less than two full seasons. The school confirmed the firing on Tuesday night.

Defensive backs coach Corey Fuller will be the interim coach.

"Regardless of who takes over, 80-85 percent will stay the same," Adrian said. "You don't have time to change anything."

The Tallahassee Democrat reported that Rattlers quarterback Damien Fleming said the players will not boycott Saturday's game, though there had been "speculation" they might.

CONTINUE READING

Registered Sex Offender Emerges as Star College Football

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado -- A registered sex offender has emerged as a star player on a top tier college football team, resuming his athletic career after being expelled from the Air Force Academy where he was court-martialed for sexual assault.

No NCAA rule prevents a person with a criminal conviction from playing college athletics, a spokesperson told ABC News. It is left up to the individual college or conference to determine eligibility.

Jamil Cooks, 23, enrolled at Alcorn State in Mississippi, a Division One NCAA school, after being found guilty in April 2013 of abusive sexual contact in a court martial proceeding at the Air Force Academy, which required him to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Cooks' lawyer, Richard Stevens, says he is appealing the conviction.

The ability of Cooks to continue his football career despite being a sexual predator is only the latest example of distorted priorities that involve sexual violence, said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York.

More ABC US news | ABC Health News

CONTINUE READING

GSU grateful of fan support, but goals remain the same

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Grambling's football program has an unwritten rule inside its locker room — don't look at the standings.

As far as the Tigers are concerned, they're 0-0 despite their name atop the Southwestern Athletic Conference leaderboard with a 5-0 conference record.

Try telling that to the rapid fan base of Gramblinites who spent the last week congratulating players and coaches on their season so far.

Internally, they've accomplished nothing until a championship trophy sits in Grambling's case next to the one from 2011.

"They understand it's not over and it's not going to be over until we're standing there in Houston at the end of the season with the SWAC Championship trophy above our head," Grambling cornerbacks coach Bryan Ware said.

CONTINUE READING

Alcorn one win away from clinching SWAC East

LORMAN, Mississippi -- Alcorn State is so close to making program history.

But it has to wait about two weeks to do so.

After defeating Prairie View A&M in a wild 77-48 shootout on Saturday, the Braves are one win away from clinching their division.

Alcorn coach Jay Hopson doesn't need a reminder.

And he knows his "take one game at a time" response may sound like coach talk. But he can't stress it enough.

"It's all about Alabama A&M. All that stuff takes care of itself," Hopson said. "As coaches and players, that's how you have to be. It's kind of coach talk, and you hear it. Certainly, players and coaches will be aware of that situation. But the reality is you got to go out every Saturday and take care of each opponent."

CONTINUE READING

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

No. 13 Rush open at home vs. Belhaven on Wednesday

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana will begin the 2014-15 men's basketball season with its highest preseason ranking in seven years.

The Gold Rush, 23-9 a year ago, were 13th in the NAIA Division I Coaches' Preseason Top 25 poll announced Tuesday. It's the fifth consecutive season that the XU men are in the preseason top 25.

Xavier will open the season with games against Belhaven on Wednesday and Carver on Friday. Both will tip off at 7 p.m. at XU's Convocation Center. Xavier will play eight of its first nine games at home.

The Gold Rush are in the top 25 for the 38th consecutive time — the longest active streak in the division — and the 51st time in the last 52 polls. The last time the Gold Rush held a higher preseason ranking was 10th place in 2007-08.

Xavier is one of three Gulf Coast Athletic Conference teams in the top 25. Talladega is No. 5, and Philander Smith is No. 23. Xavier won its third consecutive GCAC regular-season title in 2013-14, and Talladega beat Philander Smith in the GCAC Tournament championship game. All three qualified for last season's Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship.

Before the first regular-season poll on Dec. 9, Xavier will play No. 9 William Carey at home on Dec. 1 and a pair of games with Wiley, which received votes. Xavier will open its GCAC schedule Jan. 5 at Talladega, then play Philander Smith at home on Jan. 10.

Defending champion Vanguard was chosen No. 1 unanimously.

NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches'
Preseason Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records from 2013-14 season)

Rank	Team	Record	Points	Last
1	Oklahoma City (8)	27-4	249	1
2	Freed-Hardeman (2)	36-2	243	2
3	Vanguard	27-2	229	3
4	Westminster (Utah)	26-3	226	4
5	Campbellsville	32-4	222	5
6	Wiley	30-5	204	6
7	John Brown	28-8	194	7
8	Oklahoma Baptist	29-6	192	9
9	Bethel (Tenn.)	23-11	188	16
10	Baker	27-7	163	11
11-tie	Loyola	23-12	162	15
11-tie	Our Lady of the Lake	27-5	162	8
13	Westmont	20-10	148	18
14	The Master's	24-9	142	12
15	Lewis-Clark State	27-6	130	17
16	MidAmerica Nazarene	28-4	127	13
17	Georgetown (Ky.)	21-9	124	10
18	Xavier	24-10	123	19
19	Lindsey Wilson	19-12	109	NR
20	Columbia (Mo.)	26-8	105	14
21	Montana State-Northern	22-10	94	20
22	Mobile	23-9	64	RV
23	Hope International	23-10	59	22
24	Langston	20-13	58	RV
25	Central Methodist	22-9	46	NR
Others receiving votes: Lyon 45, Cumberlands 35, Wayland Baptist 34, Cumberland 29, Shawnee State 28, Martin Methodist 11, William Woods 11, Concordia (Calif.) 10, SUNO 9, Mid-America Christian 4, Carroll (Mont.) 4.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

XULAATHLETICS

No. 18 Nuggets to open with 4 straight top-25 opponents

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana, 18th in the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 poll announced Tuesday, will be thoroughly tested by the time the first regular-season poll is announced.

The Gold Nuggets, 24-10 last season, will:

• Open the season with a ranked opponent — No. 5 Campbellsville — for the first time since 2007.

• Open the season with four consecutive ranked opponents: Campbellsville, No. 9 Bethel (Tenn.), No. 22 Mobile and No. 11 Our Lady of the Lake.

• Play consecutive games against top-10 opponents for the first time since November 1999. Xavier will face Campbellsville at 6 p.m. Friday and Bethel at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Bethel Chamber of Commerce Shootout at McKenzie, Tenn.

The Gold Nuggets are in the preseason top 25 for the fifth consecutive year and the 12th time in Bo Browder's 16 seasons as head coach. The gauntlet they'll run extends to last season, when they closed with three consecutive ranked opponents.

The first regular-season poll will be announced Dec. 9. By that time Xavier also will have played No. 6 Wiley and No. 24 Langston (Nov. 27-28 in the Xavier Classic) and Mobile a second time (Dec. 1 at Mobile). Mobile will be the Gold Nuggets' home opener at 7 p.m. on Nov. 12.

Defending champion Oklahoma City is preseason No. 1 after receiving 8-of-10 first-place votes.

NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches'
Preseason Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records from 2013-14 season)

Rank	Team	Record	Points	Last
1	Oklahoma City (8)	27-4	249	1
2	Freed-Hardeman (2)	36-2	243	2
3	Vanguard	27-2	229	3
4	Westminster (Utah)	26-3	226	4
5	Campbellsville	32-4	222	5
6	Wiley	30-5	204	6
7	John Brown	28-8	194	7
8	Oklahoma Baptist	29-6	192	9
9	Bethel (Tenn.)	23-11	188	16
10	Baker	27-7	163	11
11-tie	Loyola	23-12	162	15
11-tie	Our Lady of the Lake	27-5	162	8
13	Westmont	20-10	148	18
14	The Master's	24-9	142	12
15	Lewis-Clark State	27-6	130	17
16	MidAmerica Nazarene	28-4	127	13
17	Georgetown (Ky.)	21-9	124	10
18	Xavier	24-10	123	19
19	Lindsey Wilson	19-12	109	NR
20	Columbia (Mo.)	26-8	105	14
21	Montana State-Northern	22-10	94	20
22	Mobile	23-9	64	RV
23	Hope International	23-10	59	22
24	Langston	20-13	58	RV
25	Central Methodist	22-9	46	NR
Others receiving votes: Lyon 45, Cumberlands 35, Wayland Baptist 34, Cumberland 29, Shawnee State 28, Martin Methodist 11, William Woods 11, Concordia (Calif.) 10, SUNO 9, Mid-America Christia

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

XULAATHLETICS

XU Nuggets are a big hit in GCAC victory at Edward Waters

JACKSONVILLE, Florida -- Xavier University of Louisiana hit a season-high .468 Monday to earn a 25-13, 25-12, 25-12 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's volleyball victory against Edward Waters.

The victory was the fourth in a row for the Gold Nuggets (15-4, 11-0), who will attempt to clinch a share of a fourth straight GCAC regular-season championship at home on Thursday against SUNO. Xavier has won 54 consecutive matches against GCAC opponents -- 44 in the regular season -- and 52 straight against HBCUs. The Gold Nuggets are 6-1 on the road this season.

Juniors Claudia Haywood, Franziska Pirkl and Jodi Hill and freshman Jada Broussard combined to hit .721 for Xavier on 43 attempts. None of the four committed an error. Haywood had 10 kills and hit .833, Hill had nine kills and hit .600, Broussard -- who sat out the third set -- had seven kills and hit .875, and Pirkl had six kills and hit .625.

Haywood's percentage equaled the highest in a match by an XU player with a minimum of 10 attacks since the program resumed in 2010. Haywood hit .833 at Trinity Baptist in 2012.

Broussard was perfect in the opening set, producing four kills in as many attempts and tacking on a pair of blocks. Hill had two kills during Xavier's 8-0 run to start the second set.

Xavier trailed 6-3 in the third set before closing with a 22-6 run which included five Haywood kills in six swings.

The Gold Nuggets finished with 43 kills and seven errors, a season low, in 77 attacks. Chinedu Echebelem had six kills, and CeCe Williams had five. Echebelem had nine digs and Williams eight, and Pirkl had 31 assists, six digs and three blocks.

Kayla Jones served three of Xavier's four aces. Edward Waters (10-17, 2-11) had only one ace, none by freshman Kaylin Davison, the NAIA leader in aces per set. Davison failed to serve an ace in two matches against Xavier this season.

Xavier and SUNO will meet for the second time this year at 7 p.m. Thursday at XU's Convocation Center. It will be a Dig Pink match for breast cancer awareness, and fans are encouraged to wear pink that day.

The Gold Nuggets scored six of the final seven points at SUNO on Oct. 1 to rally for a five-set victory.

Box Score

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

XULAATHLETICS