Home-opening matches for XULA moved to University of New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana announced Monday that its home-opening women’s volleyball matches Saturday will be moved to the University of New Orleans Human Performance Center.

The matches are being moved from XULA’s Convocation Center because of recent water damage that buckled sections of the court, which was installed in 2021. There will be no competition or practices in the arena for at least two months.
There will be three matches Saturday at UNO in the sixth annual Big Easy Blastoff:
• XULA vs. Louisiana Christian at 1 p.m.
• Mobile vs. Louisiana Christian at 3 p.m.
• XULA vs. Mobile at 5 p.m.

Approximate address of the Human Performance Center is 2161 Leon C. Simon Drive, New Orleans LA 70122 — near the intersection of Leon C. Simon and Elysian Fields Avenue. Tickets previously purchased online for Saturday’s matches will be honored at UNO.

XULA is 2-2 after splitting four matches at Life University’s Running Eagles Classic. The Gold Nuggets defeated Life in three sets and rallied from a 2-sets-to-zero deficit to defeat Bryan.

Additional XULA home matches that will be moved — all in the Red River Athletic Conference — will be a Sept. 17 doubleheader against Texas College, Oct. 7-8 against Texas A&M-Texarkana and Oct. 21-22 against Our Lady of the Lake. XULA has not yet determined the venues for those matches.

Wade, Mungai receive RRAC awards for season-opening performances

Xavier University of Louisiana’s Kennedy Wade and Linda Mungai earned Red River Athletic Conference player awards in women’s volleyball Monday. Wade is Attacker of the Week, and Mungai is Defender of the Week for Aug. 22-28.

Wade — a junior outside hitter from Gainesville, Fla., and a graduate of Buchholz High School — opened the season with four consecutive kill-dig double-doubles at the Running Eagles Classic in Marietta, Ga. In a five-set victory Saturday against Bryan, Wade produced 27 kills to tie the XULA match record.

Mungai, a junior libero from Busto Arsizio, Italy, reached 30 digs in 3-of-4 matches, including a career-high 31 in a four-set loss Saturday to Ave Maria. Mungai set the XULA season record and tied the career record for most 30-dig matches, three.

Wade has won six career weekly awards, and Mungai has four.