Tuesday, April 2, 2013

XU Gold Rush remain eighth in the NAIA coaches poll

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana remained eighth Tuesday in the newest NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll. It's the 16th consecutive top-10 appearance for the XU men — a streak which began in May 2011 — and their 19th in the last 20 polls.

Xavier (10-6) won 3-of-4 dual matches since the March 19 poll, including road victories against NCAA Division I New Orleans and Northwood (Fla.), which is ranked 15th in the NAIA. The Gold Rush have five victories this season against teams in this week's top 25 — also No. 9 Cumberland, No. 14 Belhaven, No. 17 Oklahoma Baptist and No. 20 Webber International — and three against NCAA D-Is.

This the 46th consecutive Gold Rush appearance in the top 25. That streak began with the poll of April 4, 2007.

Xavier has four losses against top-7 teams, and two will face the Rush this week in rematches. Xavier will travel to Hattiesburg, Miss., to play No. 6 William Carey at 3 p.m. Friday, then the Rush will play No. 1 Auburn Montgomery at 2 p.m. Saturday at the new XU Tennis Center. AUM defeated Xavier 5-4 on March 10 on the final day of the AUM Invitational. AUM's score included two matches Xavier defaulted because of insufficient players.

NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, March 31)

Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Auburn Montgomery (6) 12-3 306 1
2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (4) 14-2 302 2
3 Vanguard (2) 17-0 298 3
4 Lindsey Wilson 6-2 279 4
5 Westmont 8-9 272 5
6 William Carey 7-2 262 6
7 Bethany (Kan.) 11-1 253 7
8Xavier10-62468
9 Cumberland 9-2 229 11
10 Concordia (Calif.) 8-9 223 9
11 Bethel (Tenn.) 16-1 210 10
12 Lewis-Clark State 5-1 203 12
13 Aquinas 14-4 192 13
14 Belhaven 10-3 187 14
15 Northwood (Fla.) 9-4 166 15
16 Campbellsville 5-5 147 17
17 Oklahoma Baptist 10-7 145 16
18 Northwestern Ohio 9-4 137 22
19 McPherson 12-5 132 19
20 Webber International 10-7 127 RV
21 Olivet Nazarene 3-8 119 18
22 Warner 8-6 108 RV
23 Graceland 10-5 84 RV
24 Martin Methodist 12-6 83 RV
25 Spring Arbor 15-4 77 23

Others receiving votes: St. Thomas (Fla.) 54, Pikeville 53, Indiana Wesleyan 39, Coastal Georgia 31, Martin Methodist 31, Cumberlands 10, Hope International 5, Asbury 3.

By Ed Cassiere, SID
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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