Wednesday, January 30, 2013

XU Nuggets are 13th, matching their best preseason ranking

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana was 13th — matching the program's highest preseason ranking — in the 2013 NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Preseason Poll announced Tuesday.

The Gold Nuggets, 7-22 this past season but a qualifier for the NAIA National Championship by virtue of winning an unaffiliated group tournament, matched the preseason rank of Xavier's 2007 team. This is the Nuggets' highest ranking at any point in a season since they were 13th in the final poll of 2008. Only three times have the XU women ranked higher than 13th; all three occurred in 2007.
    

Xavier began its spring season Friday with a 9-0 victory against city rival Loyola in the first intercollegiate dual at the new XU Tennis Center, which opened in October. The Gold Nuggets and Gold Rush will travel to Houma, La., to play Nicholls State at 4 p.m. Saturday. The Gold Nuggets' next home match will start at 2 p.m. on Feb. 23 against McNeese State at the XU Tennis Center.
    

The next two top 25s will be announced Feb. 19 and March 5.

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records are from 2012 season)
Rank
Team
Record
Points
Last
1
Auburn Montgomery (12)
26-2
312
1
2
Embry-Riddle (Fla.)
23-4
302
2
3
Brenau
14-6
292
6
4
Lindsey Wilson
17-4
276
8
5
Concordia (Calif.)
15-8
275
7
6
William Carey
15-10
264
9
7
Lewis-Clark State
8-15
243
14
8
Westmont
7-11
239
18
9
SCAD Savannah
9-4
233
13
10
Vanguard
7-11
226
15
11
Indiana Wesleyan
25-5
213
16
12
Campbellsville
14-8
205
17
13
Xavier
7-22
196
19
14
Olivet Nazarene
12-8-1
179
RV
15
Lee (Tenn.)
9-7
170
20
16
Robert Morris (Chicago)
19-3
168
21
17
St. Thomas (Fla.)
5-4
151
23
18
Oklahoma Baptist
10-8
142
24
19
Marian (Ind.)
21-6
129
25
20
Bethel (Kan.)
15-6
115
RV
21
Martin Methodist
11-4
106
22
22
Cumberland
6-10
90
NR
23
Belhaven
14-7
78
RV
24
Nebraska Wesleyan
12-9
70
RV
25
Davenport
21-6
65
RV

Others receiving votes: Webber International 61, Georgetown (Ky.) 59, Milligan 56, Northwestern Ohio 36, Graceland 30, SCAD Atlanta 17, Indiana Southeast 15, Hope International 11, Cumberlands 6, Missouri Valley 4.


By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
XULAATHLETICS

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