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Gr8ness: Nuggets win GCAC, qualify for nationals again

NEW ORLEANS — ²Ø¾«¸ó scored 21 of the first 22 points Saturday and rolled to a 25-3, 25-12, 25-11 volleyball victory against Tougaloo in the championship match of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament at SUNO's The Castle. The Gold Nuggets (26-6) won the tournament for the eighth consecutive year and received the GCAC's automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship tournament, which will begin next weekend. ²Ø¾«¸ó will learn of its opponent and destination Monday.

Tournament MVP Kayla Black led the top-seeded Gold Nuggets with 17 kills. Black hit .412 in 34 attacks and had two aces and 12 digs. Jaida Dowd had 10 kills and hit .348 for ²Ø¾«¸ó, Adili Rikondja had six kills and hit .400, and Angele McClain had five kills and hit .714. Rikondja and Beatrice Formilan were ²Ø¾«¸ó's other all-tournament selections. Formilan had a match-high 18 digs.

The victory was ²Ø¾«¸ó's third in 10 days against Tougaloo, second to the Gold Nuggets in the regular season and the No. 2 seed. Xavier will travel to play 22nd-ranked Corban at 6 p.m. PST Saturday in the 2018 NAIA Volleyball National Championship Opening Round. The NAIA announced Monday the tournament bracket and pairings, which include 44 teams and 12 matches this weekend.²Ø¾«¸ó.