Sunday, February 16, 2014

XU teams lose to unbeaten, ranked Georgia Gwinnett

HATTIESBURG, Mississippi -- Xavier University of Louisiana lost to Georgia Gwinnett in matchups of ranked NAIA men's and women's tennis teams Sunday. The Gold Nuggets lost 5-2, and the Gold Rush lost 6-1.

Georgia Gwinnett, a second-year NAIA member, is 5-0 and ranked fifth among men's teams, and its women are 6-0 and ranked 20th. New rankings will be announced Tuesday afternoon.

The Gold Nuggets (3-3) are ranked third, and the Gold Rush (2-4) are sixth.

Xavier never led in either dual. Brion Flowers and Simone-Alyse Ewell won at No. 2 doubles for the Nuggets with an 8-6 decision against Paloma Cortina and Victoria Svensson. XU freshman Nour Abbes remained unbeaten in singles with a 6-3, 6-1 victory against Ines Costamagna at No. 1.

The women's dual was stopped after Chiara di Salvo clinched with a 6-3, 6-1 victory against Ewell at No. 5 singles. At the time the match ended, XU freshman Brandi Nelson was one point from a victory against Svensson at No. 4. Flowers lost 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 to Cortina at No. 3.

It was the second straight day that the Grizzlies' women defeated a top-3 team. They won on Saturday at No. 2 William Carey, which lost to the Nuggets on Friday.

The only XU point in the men's dual came at No. 1 doubles, where Kyle Montrel and Nikita Soifer remained unbeaten with an 8-6 decision against Mark Verryth and Tony Kostadinov. The Grizzlies won at the top four singles flights, and only freshman Tushar Mandlekar won a singles set for the Rush.

Georgia Gwinnett's men defeated a ranked opponent for the third consecutive day.

The Gold Nuggets were 2-1 and the Rush 1-2 in their Mississippi duals. Next for Xavier will be a women's dual at 2 p.m. Friday at McNeese State. Both XU teams will play Alabama State at 3 p.m. Saturday at the XU Tennis Center, and the Gold Nuggets will play host to Southeastern Louisiana at 1 p.m. Sunday.

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