Seven from Xavier receive preseason rankings from ITA

NEW ORLEANS -- Led by sensational sophomore Nour Abbes, Xavier University of Louisiana placed seven Thursday in the first Intercollegiate Tennis Association National NAIA Rankings of the 2014-15 season.

Abbes is No. 1 in women's singles after winning the NAIA division of the USTA/ITA National Small College Championships in October and finishing second in the "Super Bowl" playoff. Abbes is seventh in doubles with teammate Carmen Nelson. Abbes and Nelson were South Regional runner-up in September.

This is the first time the Gold Nuggets have held the top spot in a USTA/ITA player ranking since Kourtney Howell and Brion Flowers were No. 1 in doubles on April 17, 2013. Flowers is 32nd on the new singles list.

For the second time in XU men's history and the first time since 2011, the Gold Rush have three nationally ranked singles players in November. Kyle Montrel is 13th, Nikita Soifer is 47th, and Tushar Mandlekar is 48th.

Mandlekar is 21st in doubles with Kevin Chaouat.

In the women's South Region rankings, Abbes is first, and Flowers is 14th. Abbes and Nelson are third in doubles.

In the South Region men's rankings, Montrel is sixth, Soifer is 15th, and Mandlekar is 16th. The doubles team of Chaouat and Mandlekar is sixth.

Player rankings in the spring will be announced March 11, April 15 and May 27. The NAIA's preseason team rankings will be revealed Jan. 28, followed by the first regular-season polls Feb. 18.

Xavier will resume competition with dual matches during the final week of January. The schedule will be announced soon. Abbes will enter the spring semester with a 30-1 singles record in her XU career.


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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XU's Williams, Wright are GCAC Players of the Week

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana's CeCe Williams (women's volleyball) and Morris Wright (men's basketball) are Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Players of the Week for Nov. 10-16.

Williams, a junior outside hitter from Houma, La., and a graduate of Vandebilt Catholic High School, was chosen MVP of the GCAC Tournament, which the Gold Nuggets won for the fourth consecutive year. She had 12 kills and 16 digs in a three-set championship victory against SUNO, including five kills to turn a 9-6 deficit into a 15-10 XU lead in the second set.

Wright, a junior from Zachary, La., a graduate of Zachary High School and a former Baton Rouge Community College standout, averaged 18 points in Gold Rush victories against Loyola and Wiley. He scored a season-high 24 points against Wiley.

The GCAC weekly awards are the first for both players.

Xavier (20-5) will play 12th-ranked Lindsey Wilson (32-3) at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in Columbia, Ky., in the NAIA Volleyball National Championship opening round. The Gold Rush, 7-1 and ranked 13th, will play LeMoyne-Owen (0-2) at noon Saturday to lead off a homecoming basketball doubleheader at the Convocation Center.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

XULAATHLETICS

XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

https://twitter.com/xulagold

ttps://www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Corey Fuller confirms he has applied for FAMU head coaching job

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M interim head coach Corey Fuller told the Tallahassee Democrat Wednesday he applied to be permanent head football coach before the team left for its game against Delaware State University last Friday.

He said he has not yet been approached by anyone from FAMU's administration, but he also plans to apply for other coaching positions with the team within the week.

FAMU plays arch-rival Bethune Cookman University this Saturday in the annual Florida Classic, the season finale for FAMU.

Fuller and all of FAMU's assistant coaches were given 60-day non-renewal notices after head coach Earl Holmes was fired four days before the team's Homecoming game earlier this month.

He is 1-2 as the interim head coach.

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VSU Quarterback Ayres Reinstated to Team After Suspension

ETTRICK, Virginia  -- Virginia State University's sophomore quarterback Tarian Ayres has been reinstated to the team after serving a one game suspension for violating team rules.

Ayres appeared in a Sussex County court yesterday on a DWI charge.

He was appointed an attorney and his next hearing is set for December 9th.

Meanwhile, the Trojans play in round one of the Division Two Playoffs this Saturday.

VSU Head Coach Latrell Scott says he hasn't decided if Ayres or true freshman and Hermitage graduate Niko Johnson will start the game. He says it all depends on who has the better week of practice.

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Barlow believes he will remain ASU’s head coach

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Reggie Barlow doesn’t think Saturday’s game will be his last as Alabama State’s head coach.

Despite being asked to resign earlier this month, Barlow expects to continue coaching the Hornets (6-5, 5-4 SWAC) after the Turkey Day Classic against Stillman (5-5) to close out the 2014 season.

“I’m happy and proud with what we have done here,” Barlow said Wednesday. “You always want to leave a place better than how you got it. ASU has been good to me. It was my only scholarship out of high school. I made the best of it and then my only opportunity, really, to coach, and I think I’ve made the best of it. I’m grateful, but I’m sure that I will be the coach here at Alabama State. That’s my focus.”

Barlow’s new three-year deal through Dec. 31, 2017 for ...

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Morgan State football's Lee Hull names Moses Skillon as starting quarterback

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- In the last three weeks, Morgan State has used both redshirt senior Robert Council and redshirt junior Moses Skillon as the starting quarterback.

For Saturday’s season finale against Delaware State (2-9 overall, 2-5 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference), Morgan State coach Lee Hull said Tuesday that the Bears (6-5, 5-2) will go with Skillon.

Skillon completed 25 of 43 attempts for 289 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's 27-24 win over South Carolina State. He also threw two interceptions against the Bulldogs (7-4, 5-2), but Hull said Skillon demonstrated his command of the offense.

“The two interceptions were not totally his fault, but he needs to see that the receiver ...

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Predicting the FCS playoff's field of 24 teams with 1 Saturday to go

GREENSBORO, North Carolina  --  Last week, we broke down the key games in the lower divisions as they prepared for the final week of their regular seasons. Here's how those playoff fields turned out. This week, it's Division I FCS that is wrapping things up, and it's time to check in on them. First, a predicted field of 24 teams, and then a closer look at each conference.

As things stand, the following 24 are probably in. But upsets might shake things up.

Definitely in via autobid (5): Sacred Heart, Jacksonville State, Fordham, San Diego, Chattanooga
Definitely in no matter what (7): Eastern Washington, Coastal Carolina, New Hampshire, Villanova, North Dakota State, Illinois State, Eastern Kentucky. Playing each other, winner in as at-large (1 of 2): Richmond, William & Mary.

On the right side of the bubble (11, including MEAC and Southland autobids): Montana, Montana State, Northern Arizona, North Carolina A&T, South Dakota State, Northern Iowa, Indiana State, Bryant, Bucknell, Southeastern Louisiana, San Houston State.

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