Volleyball Hands Xavier First Loss of Season

NEW ORLEANS, La. – The Doane Tigers earned a hard-fought 3-1 road victory over Xavier University of Louisiana on Friday evening, improving their record to 3-3 on the season. Set scores were 25-20, 25-22, 23-25, 25-19.

Doane came out strong in the opening frame, capitalizing on key kills from Brooke Larsen, who finished with a team-high 16 kills and 16 digs to notch a double-double. The Tigers continued their momentum in the second set, edging the Gold Nuggets 25-22 behind steady setting from Camdyn Carpenter, who tallied 39 assists on the night.

Xavier responded in the third set, taking advantage of timely blocks to win 25-23 and extend the match. However, the Tigers closed the door in set four, using an 8-3 run midway through to pull away. Kate Roseland was pivotal at the net with six blocks and eight kills, while Natalie Wood and Addison Raebel combined for 19 kills to keep the pressure on the Gold Nuggets.

Defensively, Doane was sharp, recording 76 digs as a team and holding Xavier to a .049 attack percentage. The Tigers' balanced attack and composure in key points proved decisive as they secured the victory.

Doane returns to action on Saturday, looking to build on the momentum from a quality road win against a Xavier squad that entered the night undefeated. The Gold Nuggets (5-1) had not dropped a set until the Doane match.

Final Score - Doane 3, Xavier 1

(generated by ChatGPT)