Gold Nuggets return to top 25, lose to UCO; Rush still 9th

NEW ORLEANS — Central Oklahoma defeated Xavier University of Louisiana 7-2 Tuesday in a women's dual match at City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center.

The Gold Nuggets (3-15) climbed to 24th in the NAIA coaches poll earlier in the day. Central Oklahoma (8-4) is ranked 42nd in NCAA Division II.

XU sophomores Kourtney Howell and Nicole DeLoach defeated Rose Cabato and Anto Rossini 8-6 at No. 2 doubles, and freshman Amanda Materre — winning for the ninth time in her past 11 singles matches — beat Julia Shviadok 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 at No. 2.

Howell, despite two match points in the super-tiebreaker, lost 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (11-9) to Elizabeta Abramovic at No. 1 singles.

The Gold Nuggets — aided by a 5-2 road victory against then-No. 21 Belhaven and a 5-4 loss to No. 18 Martin Methodist — are in the top 25 for the first time since March 8, 2011. They dropped out of the ensuing poll to end a streak of 44 consecutive top-25 appearances. Nine of the Nuggets' losses this season are to NCAA Division I opponents.

Both XU teams will play their final home duals of the season at 4 p.m., Saturday against Auburn Montgomery at the University of New Orleans Tennis Center. AUM's women are No. 1 in the NAIA, and the men are fifth. Xavier's men (10-3) remained ninth in the poll. It's the sixth straight time and the ninth time in the past 10 polls that the Gold Rush are in the top 10.

NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll

(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, March 18)

 Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Fresno Pacific (11) 14-1 281 1

2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 10-1 272 2

3 Oklahoma Christian 6-2 260 3

4 Azusa Pacific 11-1 256 4

5 Auburn Montgomery 7-6 243 5

6 Vanguard 7-4 238 6

7 Point Loma Nazarene 7-4 227 8

8 Concordia (Calif.) 4-3 214 11

9 Xavier 10-3 210 9
10 Westmont 2-4 197 7

11 William Carey 5-2 192 13

12 Lindsey Wilson 10-4 187 12

13 Aquinas 10-1 169 14

14 Bethany (Kan.) 6-3 161 15

15 Lee (Tenn.) 5-1 158 17

16 Cumberland 5-0 144 RV

17 Belhaven 8-2 121 25

18 Warner 8-2 115 16

19 Campbellsville 4-4 113 22

20 Martin Methodist 4-3 105 24

21 Our Lady of the Lake 3-4 102 RV

22 Shorter 7-8 94 10

23 Webber International 11-5 85 18

24 Lewis-Clark State 5-6 69 19

25 Northwestern Ohio 10-3 59 RV

Others receiving votes: Pikeville 56, McPherson 36, Northwood (Fla.) 34, Spring Arbor 34, Tennessee Wesleyan 22, Roberts Wesleyan 12, Biola 11, Asbury 4, Mobile 3, St. Thomas (Fla.) 3, Cumberlands 1, Missouri Valley 1, Taylor 1.

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, March 18)

Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Auburn Montgomery (11) 12-1 281 1

2 Fresno Pacific 12-3 272 2

3 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 11-1 263 3

4 Oklahoma Christian 5-0 254 4

5 Azusa Pacific 10-1 245 5

6 Point Loma Nazarene 8-3 236 6

7 Brenau 6-3 227 7

8 Concordia (Calif.) 6-3 218 8

9 William Carey 6-5 204 10

10 Southern Nazarene 1-2 203 9

11 SCAD Savannah 2-2 184 11

12 Lindsey Wilson 8-2 179 14

13 Shorter 14-4 178 15

14 Lewis-Clark State 4-10 164 16

15 Vanguard 4-6 156 12

16 Lee (Tenn.) 5-1 148 13

17 Indiana Wesleyan 14-0 139 17

18 Martin Methodist 4-3 125 18

19 St. Thomas (Fla.) 2-2 110 20

20 Campbellsville 4-3 104 22

21-tie Westmont 3-6 80 RV

21-tie Oklahoma Baptist 4-3 80 RV

23 Marian (Ind.) 18-4 77 25

24 Xavier 3-14 74 RV

25 Davenport 13-5 73 24

Others receiving votes: Belhaven 69, Webber International 57, SCAD Atlanta 38, Indiana Southeast 33, Bethel (Kan.) 27, Taylor 8, Northwood (Fla.) 8;, Northwestern Ohio 5, The Master's 3, Cumberlands 1, Milligan 1, Nebraska Wesleyan 1.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

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