It's 7th heaven for Gold Rush in NAIA postseason poll

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana capped the best season in the modern era of its men's tennis program with a No. 7 ranking Tuesday in the postseason NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll.

The XU men (18-8), who maintained their school-record ranking from 15 days ago, are one of eight NAIA teams in the final top 10 for the second consecutive season. The Gold Rush were eighth a year ago. This is the first time since 2002 that the last rating occurs after the NAIA National Championship.

Xavier is in the top 10 for the 11th straight time, including all nine this season, and in 14 of the last 15 polls. It's the 41st consecutive top-25 appearance for the Gold Rush in a streak which began April 4, 2007.

Xavier justified its top-10 status by defeating then-ninth-ranked Point Loma Nazarene 5-0 Wednesday in the second round of the national tournament. That made coach Alan Green's team the first from Xavier in any sport to reach the national quarterfinals since men's basketball in 1973.

2011/12 XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MEN'S TENNIS ROSTER
HEAD COACH: Alan Green (Xavier 2002), ninth season

NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through end of season)
Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Oklahoma Christian (12) 20-3 312 3
2 Fresno Pacific 25-2 302 1
3 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 20-4 292 2
4 Azusa Pacific 21-3 282 4
5 Auburn Montgomery 17-8 272 5
6 Vanguard 15-10 262 6
7 Xavier 18-8 251 7
8 Westmont 12-10 242 8

9 William Carey 17-5 228 10

10 Lindsey Wilson 19-6 219 12

11 Point Loma Nazarene 13-11 217 9

12 Concordia (Calif.) 9-13 205 11

13 Aquinas 26-3 187 13

14 Bethany (Kan.) 22-4 183 14

15 Belhaven 16-4 174 15

16 Cumberland 18-3 164 16

17 Campbellsville 19-7 148 18

18 Warner 13-5 137 17

19 Lewis-Clark State 11-9 131 19

20 Olivet Nazarene 15-5 126 21

21 Northwestern Ohio 19-7 114 20

22 Shorter 12-15 101 22

23 Webber International 15-7 88 23

24 Spring Arbor 24-3 73 RV

25 Our Lady of the Lake 7-7 69 24

Others receiving votes: Lee (Tenn.) 66, Pikeville 48, Biola 27, Hastings 16, McPherson 14, Bethel (Tenn.) 11, Asbury 11, Roberts Wesleyan 8, Northwood (Fla.) 5, Graceland 3, SCAD Atlanta 3, Davenport 1, Georgetown (Ky.) 1, Oklahoma Baptist 1.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

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