Wednesday, May 4, 2011

XU Gold Rush back in NAIA top 10 after climbing two places

NEW ORLEANS — For the fourth time in five polls, Xavier University of Louisiana is among the top 10 in the NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25.

The Gold Rush (13-9) climbed two spots Tuesday to No. 9 after beating Bethel (Tenn.) 6-0 and Martin Methodist 5-2 to win an NAIA National Championship qualifying tournament at Chattanooga, Tenn. XU's men qualified for the national tournament for the third consecutive year.

Xavier was No. 8, a program record, for three consecutive polls beginning March 8.

The Gold Rush are in the the top 25 for the 31st consecutive time dating to April 4, 2007 — that's the fifth longest active streak among NAIA men's teams — and it's the 22nd straight time dating to April 30, 2008, that the Gold Rush are among the top 18.


NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, May 1)
RankTeamRecordPointsLast
1Fresno Pacific (12)21-23121
2Embry-Riddle (Fla.)14-63022
3Auburn Montgomery23-32913
4Oklahoma Christian21-12795
5Azusa Pacific15-62764
6Westmont12-52626
7Point Loma Nazarene15-72527
8Vanguard7-1322812
9Xavier13-922511
10Union (Ky.)17-521710
11Concordia (Calif.)8-142078
12Shorter12-420615
13Graceland11-519313
14William Carey12-91839
15Lindsey Wilson14-517617
16Aquinas24-317414
17St. Thomas (Fla.)14-315716
18Olivet Nazarene14-313219
19Lewis-Clark State10-812718
20McKendree20-3122tie-20
21Tennessee Wesleyan11-611522
22SCAD Savannah7-4109tie-20
23Martin Methodist14-59023
24Webber International13-67924
25Bethany (Kan.)19-369tie-25

Others receiving votes: Lee (Tenn.) 59; Campbellsville 41, Northwood (Fla.) 23, Huntington (Ind.) 23, Cumberland 22, Lindenwood 19, Northwestern Ohio 13, Walsh 6, Our Lady of the Lake 5, Georgetown (Ky.) 1, Biola 1.

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, May 1)
RankTeamRecordPointsLast
1Fresno Pacific (10)18-42811
2Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (1)20-32722
3Auburn Montgomery23-52604
4Azusa Pacific19-42536
5Oklahoma Christian17-22445
6Point Loma Nazarene18-32423
7Concordia (Calif.)14-72267
8Brenau10-72188
9SCAD Savannah10-22079
10Vanguard10-1020110
11Southern Nazarene14-618412
12William Carey14-618213
13Lee (Tenn.)9-517116
14Olivet Nazarene19-116014
15Shorter11-415611
16-tieIndiana Wesleyan21-113917
16-tieLewis-Clark State6-1413921
18Martin Methodist15-512718
19Lindsey Wilson13-512123
20Oklahoma Baptist9-1011015
21St. Thomas (Fla.)9-910219
22Campbellsville14-59620
23William Jewell17-79022
24Webber International12-96824
25Belhaven14-36025

Others receiving votes: Westmont 42, Milligan 41, Cumberlands 27, Robert Morris (Chicago) 23, Indiana Southeast 19, McKendree 17, Taylor 5, The Master's 3, Northwood (Fla.) 3, Xavier 1, Mobile 1, Georgetown (Ky.) 1, Spring Hill 1,; Marian (Ind.) 1.

Lee (Tenn.) dropped out of the top 25 after being tied for 25th in the previous poll. That snapped the Flames' streak of 47 consecutive appearances in the top 25. There are no new teams in this week's top 25, and Xavier was one of seven teams to climb. The top three teams are the same as the previous poll, with Fresno Pacific ranked first for the 14th consecutive time. Martin Methodist, 0-2 this season against Xavier, remained 23rd.

This was the seventh of eight polls this season. The final rankings will be announced Sunday.

The Gold Rush will play May 17 in the first round or May 18 in the second round of the NAIA National Championship at Mobile, Ala.

Xavier's women, whose season ended Saturday with a 5-0 loss to Milligan in the semifinals of the qualifying tournament, are out of the top 25 for the fourth consecutive time. The Gold Nuggets collected one point to tie for 35th place.

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

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