XU Nuggets are 13th, matching their best preseason ranking

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana was 13th — matching the program's highest preseason ranking — in the 2013 NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Preseason Poll announced Tuesday.

The Gold Nuggets, 7-22 this past season but a qualifier for the NAIA National Championship by virtue of winning an unaffiliated group tournament, matched the preseason rank of Xavier's 2007 team. This is the Nuggets' highest ranking at any point in a season since they were 13th in the final poll of 2008. Only three times have the XU women ranked higher than 13th; all three occurred in 2007.
    
Xavier began its spring season Friday with a 9-0 victory against city rival Loyola in the first intercollegiate dual at the new XU Tennis Center, which opened in October. The Gold Nuggets and Gold Rush will travel to Houma, La., to play Nicholls State at 4 p.m. Saturday. The Gold Nuggets' next home match will start at 2 p.m. on Feb. 23 against McNeese State at the XU Tennis Center.
    
The next two top 25s will be announced Feb. 19 and March 5.

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records are from 2012 season) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Auburn Montgomery (12) 26-2 312 1 2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 23-4 302 2 3 Brenau 14-6 292 6 4 Lindsey Wilson 17-4 276 8 5 Concordia (Calif.) 15-8 275 7 6 William Carey 15-10 264 9 7 Lewis-Clark State 8-15 243 14 8 Westmont 7-11 239 18 9 SCAD Savannah 9-4 233 13 10 Vanguard 7-11 226 15 11 Indiana Wesleyan 25-5 213 16 12 Campbellsville 14-8 205 17 13 Xavier 7-22 196 19 14 Olivet Nazarene 12-8-1 179 RV 15 Lee (Tenn.) 9-7 170 20 16 Robert Morris (Chicago) 19-3 168 21 17 St. Thomas (Fla.) 5-4 151 23 18 Oklahoma Baptist 10-8 142 24 19 Marian (Ind.) 21-6 129 25 20 Bethel (Kan.) 15-6 115 RV 21 Martin Methodist 11-4 106 22 22 Cumberland 6-10 90 NR 23 Belhaven 14-7 78 RV 24 Nebraska Wesleyan 12-9 70 RV 25 Davenport 21-6 65 RV Others receiving votes: Webber International 61, Georgetown (Ky.) 59, Milligan 56, Northwestern Ohio 36, Graceland 30, SCAD Atlanta 17, Indiana Southeast 15, Hope International 11, Cumberlands 6, Missouri Valley 4.

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