Gold Nuggets defeat Dillard for 20th consecutive time

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana, hitting better than .400 for the fourth time in five matches, scored a 25-16, 25-11, 25-21 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference volleyball victory Monday against Dillard at Dillard’s Dent Hall.

It was the Gold Nuggets’ 20th consecutive victory against their longtime city rival and second in 2018. XULA (16-4, 7-0) has won 10 straight overall this season.

Dillard (10-14, 5-4) dropped its third straight, all at home.

XULA outhit Dillard .403 to .103. Freshman Marine Angely produced a career high for hitting for the second straight match. She hit .632 in 19 attacks and had 13 kills, her second most this season.

“It’s great to see Marine play the way she has lately,” said teammate Kayla Black. “She’s gotten a better understanding of what she needs to do to earn a spot on the floor, and she’s stepped up and fought for it.”

Black had 10 kills — her 15th time this season in double figures — and hit .474 in 19 attacks. The sophomore also reached 500 career kills; she has 501 and ranks seventh in XULA history.

Freshman Elena Duru had six kills and hit .400, and sophomore Vivica Price-Spraggins had five kills and hit .333. Price-Spraggins had four blocks, Angely and Duru served two aces apiece, and another freshman, Beatrice Formilan, had eight digs. Eva Le Guillou had 33 assists, two kills, two blocks and six digs.

Dillard’s Desire Neal, who had 20 kills and hit .400 in a four-set loss Sept. 15 at XULA, had eight kills and hit .105.

Dillard led 5-1 and 8-3 in the opening set, but XULA answered with a 10-2 run and took the lead for good at 11-10 on a Le Guillou ace.

“Dillard came out with a lot of energy,” Black said, “but we responded to that and did a good job throughout the match.”

It’s the fifth time in program history that the Gold Nuggets have won 10 straight or more. They won 13 in a row in 2017. The school record, set in 2013, is 20 consecutive victories.

XULA remained a half-match behind Tougaloo in the GCAC standings. Both teams are unbeaten in the league, but Tougaloo is 8-0 after its three-set victory Monday at SUNO.

Next for XULA will be a 6 p.m. Wednesday GCAC match at SUNO.