Xavier Gold Nuggets in final top 25 for the 7th time in 8

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana climbed one place to 19th Tuesday in the postseason NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll.

It's the seventh time in eight seasons that the Gold Nuggets (7-22) appear in the final top 25 of the season. This is the first time since 2002 that the last rating occurs after the NAIA National Championship.

Excluding the 2005-06 season, when Xavier did not compete because of Hurricane Katrina, the Gold Nuggets appeared in the top 25 in 48 of the past 58 polls. They were no lower than 20th in the final three polls of 2012 after a stretch of 10-of-11 polls outside the top 25.

Despite their losing record, the XU women won an NAIA unaffiliated group tournament to qualify for nationals for the sixth time in eight seasons. They lost 6-3 to 15th-ranked Vanguard in the opening round a week ago.

Auburn Montgomery, which won the championship for the second straight year and the 11th time in 14 seasons, was a unanimous No. 1 for the sixth straight poll. The Warhawks were first in all nine polls this year. Embry-Riddle (Fla.), a 5-2 to loser to AUM in the championship dual Saturday, finished No. 2.

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through end of season)
Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Auburn Montgomery (13) 26-2 343 1
2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 23-4 332 3
3 Fresno Pacific 22-5 321 2
4 Oklahoma Christian 18-4 310 4
5 Azusa Pacific 18-4 299 5
6 Brenau 14-6 285 7
7 Concordia (Calif.) 15-8 274 8
8 Lindsey Wilson 17-4 269 11
9-tie William Carey 15-10 251 9
9-tie Point Loma Nazarene 16-6 251 6
11 Shorter 21-9 227 12
12 Southern Nazarene 13-6 226 10
13 SCAD Savannah 9-4 209 13
14 Lewis-Clark State 8-15 196 14
15 Vanguard 10-15 193 15
16 Indiana Wesleyan 25-5 179 16
17 Campbellsville 14-8 155 17
18 Westmont 7-11 148 19
19 Xavier 7-22 142 20
20 Lee (Tenn.) 9-7 141 18
21 Robert Morris (Chicago) 17-3 128 22
22 Martin Methodist 11-4 125 21
23 St. Thomas (Fla.) 5-4 93 23
24 Oklahoma Baptist 10-8 79 24
25 Marian (Ind.) 21-6 74 25

Others receiving votes: Northwestern Ohio 65, Davenport 42, Bethel (Kan.) 36, Nebraska Wesleyan 33, Webber International 26, Olivet Nazarene 20, Belhaven 14, Missouri Valley 12, Georgetown (Ky.) 10, Indiana Southeast 3, Milligan 1.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

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