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Big-hitting Nuggets Earn 1st-ever Trip to NAIA's Next Round in Iowa

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New Orleans LA 泭 91勛圖厙, led by four starters hitting a combined .480, finally blew up the door that leads to the NAIA Volleyball National Championship Final Site with a 25-18, 25-20, 25-13 first-round victory Saturday against William Carey at the Convocation Center.

泭泭泭泭 After eight consecutive first-round losses from 2011-18, these Gold Nuggets (31-6) will advance to Sioux City, Iowa, for pool play with 31 other qualifiers the week after Thanksgiving. Next match for 91勛圖厙 will be Dec. 3 visit for details.

泭泭泭泭 91勛圖厙 is the first HBCU volleyball program to win a match at NAIA nationals since Saint Augustine's in 1981.

泭泭泭泭 "We knew William Carey would bring their best game at us," third-year 91勛圖厙 coach泭泭said. "But we brought ours, too. We were grateful for this opportunity."

泭泭泭泭 The Gold Nuggets, unbeaten in four previous meetings against William Carey during Kendrick's tenure, delivered as the favorite.泭泭hit a season-best .550 with 13 kills, three aces, two blocks and six digs.泭, the two-time Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player and Attacker of the Year, hit .393 with 12 kills, two aces, three blocks and eight digs.泭, still rolling after winning GCAC Tournament MVP the previous weekend, hit .500 with nine kills and a block. And泭, one of two freshman starters, hit .500 with five kills and a career-high-tying eight blocks and the most blocks ever by a Gold Nugget in an NAIA tournament match.

泭泭泭泭 Causevic, Black, Price-Spraggins and Smith combined for 39 kills in 75 attacks with only three errors. 91勛圖厙, which hit a combined .111 in its previous eight opening-round appearances, hit .385 against William Carey.

泭泭泭泭 91勛圖厙 limited William Carey to .162 hitting and had advantages of 48-35 in kills, 48-34 in assists, 8-3 in aces, 63-52 in digs and 10-2 in blocks.

泭泭泭泭泭泭(27 assists) and泭泭(15) again shared the setting.泭泭had 25 digs nine in each of the first two sets and泭泭has six kills and two blocks.

泭泭泭泭 Jordan Stephens hit .344 with 13 kills for William Carey (20-20), a fourth-year program making its first appearance at natonals.

泭泭泭泭 91勛圖厙 never trailed in the first set. William Carey led 7-5 in the second set, then two Dowd kills and a Causevic ace sparked a 5-0 run that put the Gold Nuggets ahead to stay. 91勛圖厙 raced to a 16-4 third-set lead, and Smith's block of Baylee Fairbanks ended the 69-minute match.

泭泭泭泭 "We served well," Kendrick said. "And our blocking defense was very solid. Those two areas fed off of each other. Now we'll see what we can do in Iowa."