Saturday, March 5, 2016

XU Gold Rush climb to school-record No. 3 national rank

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana set another rankings record for its men's tennis program when it moved from fourth to third Tuesday in the NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll.
    
It's the second time in three polls this season that the Gold Rush ranking is the best in school history. Xavier was fourth in the preseason Jan. 26 — its pre-2016 high had been fifth — and again in the first regular-season rankings Feb. 16.
    
Xavier is in the top 10 for the 41st consecutive time and in the top 25 for the 71st consecutive time. Xavier began its top-10 streak May 3, 2011, and its top-25 streak April 4, 2007.
    
Two-time defending champion Georgia Gwinnett was a unanimous No. 1 for the third time this season. Preseason No. 2 Auburn Montgomery returned to that spot after ranking fifth two weeks ago, and previous No. 3 Lindsey Wilson fell to sixth.
    
Climbing from sixth to fourth was Northwestern Ohio, which will visit Xavier at 2 p.m. March 29.
    
The next rankings will be announced March 15.
    
Next for the Gold Rush will be a trip to Hattiesburg, Miss., to play 10th-ranked William Carey at noon Friday, then a home dual at 11 a.m. Sunday against William Woods at XU Tennis Center. Xavier defeated William Carey 8-1 at XU Feb. 6.
    
SCHEDULE NOTES:  XU coach Alan Green said the Friday dual against William Carey was moved up three hours and to the Crusaders' campus courts . . . Added were road duals March 22 at St. Thomas (Fla.) and March 23 at Keiser. Both will start at 2 p.m. EDT.

NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Feb. 28)

RankTeamRecordPointsLast
1Georgia Gwinnett (12)7-03121
2Auburn Montgomery5-22965
3Xavier5-32944
4Northwestern Ohio6-12756
5Coastal Georgia5-12629
6Lindsey Wilson2-22553
7Keiser3-125311
8Dalton State 6-42502
9Westmont4-223215
10William Carey3-42258
11McPherson1-121210
12San Diego Christian 4-12067
13Reinhardt2-019712
14Bethany (Kan.)3-018313
15Campbellsville0-017214
16Cardinal Stritch1-514717
17Graceland2-413816
18Olivet Nazarene1-313418
19Aquinas7-312822
20Lewis-Clark State5-512019
21Warner4-0102RV
22Asbury0-09920
23Cumberland1-29321
24Middle Georgia5-479RV
25Marian (Ind.)11-17524

Dropped from rankings:  No. 23 Southeastern (Fla.), No. 25 Tennessee Wesleyan
    

Others receiving votes:  Tennessee Wesleyan 67, Southeastern (Fla.) 61, Pikeville 26, Goshen 19, Mobile 14, Missouri Valley 12, Indiana Wesleyan 7, Baker 3, Martin Methodist 3

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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