title image via XULA Volleyball
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana announced Monday its 2024 women’s volleyball schedule, which includes 30 regular-season matches, eight against teams that qualified for 2023 NAIA nationals, and the return of XULA’s Big Easy Blastoff.
XULA will begin its 17th season with four matches Aug. 23-24 in the Onset Invitational at Fort Wayne, Ind. The Gold Nuggets will open at 11 a.m. EDT Aug. 23 against the host school, Saint Francis, then play IU Kokomo at 3:30 p.m.
Saint Francis and IU Kokomo are among eight first-time XULA opponents.
The Gold Nuggets’ matchups against 2023 NAIA nationals teams will be against IU Kokomo, Aug. 24 against IU East and Columbia International, Aug. 29 against Columbia (Mo.) and Aug. 30 against Marian (Ind.) in the Big Easy Blastoff, Sept. 6 against Kansas Wesleyan in its Coyote Classic, Oct. 8 at city rival Loyola and Oct. 15 at Blue Mountain Christian.
The Gold Nuggets’ first home match will start at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 29 in the Convocation Center against Columbia in the seventh Big Easy Blastoff. Joining XULA, Columbia and Marian in the six-team, three-day, 12-match event are Campbellsville, Loyola and MidAmerica Nazarene.
The first two of 16 Red River Athletic Conference matches will be Sept. 13-14 at home against Texas A&M-Texarkana. XULA will play host Nov. 1-2 to two-time defending regular-season champion Our Lady of the Lake and will travel to OLLU for the RRAC Tournament Nov. 15-16.
Students, faculty and staff with a valid XULA ID are admitted free to home matches.
Pat Kendrick, a three-time Louisiana Coach of the Year, returns for her eighth season to lead the Gold Nuggets. Kendrick is 152-47 (.764) during her XULA tenure.
Each of the last 13 seasons, XULA volleyball won league tournament championships to earn automatic bids to NAIA nationals. In 2023 XULA was 19-8 overall and 14-2 in its third RRAC season.
Xavier University of Louisiana 2024 Women’s Volleyball Schedule
Aug. 23 (Fri.): at Saint Francis (Ind.), 11 a.m. EDT (1)
Aug. 23 (Fri.): IU Kokomo, 3:30 p.m. EDT (1)
Aug. 24 (Sat.): IU East, 9 a.m. EDT (1)
Aug. 24 (Sat.): Columbia International, 1:15 p.m. EDT (1)
Aug. 29 (Thu.): COLUMBIA (MO.), 7:30 p.m. (2)
Aug. 30 (Fri.): MARIAN (IND.), 7:30 p.m. (2)
Aug. 31 (Sat.): MIDAMERICA NAZARENE, 2:30 p.m. (2)
Aug. 31 (Sat.): CAMPBELLSVILLE, 7:30 p.m. (2)
Sept. 6 (Fri.): William Penn, 5 p.m. (3)
Sept. 6 (Fri.): at Kansas Wesleyan, 7 p.m. (3)
Sept. 7 (Sat.): Sterling, noon (3)
Sept. 7 (Sat.): Stephens, 2 p.m. (3)
Sept. 13 (Fri.): • TEXAS A&M-TEXARKANA, 6 p.m.
Sept. 14 (Sat.): • TEXAS A&M-TEXARKANA, noon
Sept. 27 (Fri.): • at Southwest (N.M.), 6 p.m. MDT
Sept. 28 (Sat.): • at Southwest (N.M.), noon MDT
Oct. 4 (Fri.): • LOUISIANA CHRISTIAN, 6 p.m.
Oct. 5 (Sat.): • LOUISIANA CHRISTIAN, noon
Oct. 8 (Tue.): at Loyola (N.O.), 6 p.m.
Oct. 11 (Fri.): • at Huston-Tillotson, 6 p.m.
Oct. 12 (Sat.): • at Huston-Tillotson, noon
Oct. 15 (Tue.): at Blue Mountain Christian, 6 p.m.
Oct. 18 (Fri.): • TEXAS COLLEGE, 7 p.m.
Oct. 19 (Sat.): • TEXAS COLLEGE, noon
Oct. 25 (Fri.): • at Paul Quinn, 7 p.m.
Oct. 26 (Sat.): • at Paul Quinn, noon
Nov. 1 (Fri.): • OUR LADY OF THE LAKE, 7 p.m.
Nov. 2 (Sat.): • OUR LADY OF THE LAKE, noon
Nov. 8 (Fri.): • at Jarvis Christian, 6 p.m.
Nov. 9 (Sat.): • at Jarvis Christian, 11 a.m.
Nov. 15-16 (Fri.-Sat.): Red River Athletic Conference Tournament at San Antonio, Texas
Nov. 23 (Sat.): NAIA National Championship tournament first round at campus sites, TBA
Dec. 4-10 (Wed.-Tue.): NAIA National Championship tournament final site at Sioux City, Iowa, TBA
