McNeese beats Nuggets, but XU wins 3 singles matches

NEW ORLEANS -- Klaudia Gawlik, Diana Pirciu and Annabelle Peacock won in doubles and singles Saturday to lead McNeese State to a 6-3 women's tennis victory against NAIA No. 11 Xavier University of Louisiana.

The Cowgirls (6-3) won for the fourth time in five duals and gave the Gold Nuggets (3-3) their second consecutive loss. All three XU losses this year are to NCAA Division I opponents.

For the first time in four meetings with McNeese, the Gold Nuggets won three singles matches. But all three were decided after McNeese clinched the dual.

2012-13 GOLD NUGGETS WOMEN'S TENNIS TEAM
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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ROSTER

XU freshman Brion Flowers, playing at No. 2, ended her four-match singles losing streak with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 victory against Lara Pujol. Amanda Materre won 1-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-5) against Anastasia Surkova at No. 3, and another XU freshman, Simone-Alyce Ewell, defeated Andreea Nenu 6-4, 6-2 at No. 4.

Gawlik, a freshman, improved to 9-0 in singles this semester after her 6-3, 6-3 victory against NAIA All-American Kourtney Howell at No. 1. Gawlik and Nenu beat Ewell and Materre 8-5 at No. 2 doubles.

All three doubles matches were close, including Pirciu and Peacock's 9-8 (7-4) decision against Amber Brown and Vashni Balleste at No. 3. Pirciu and Peacock combined to lose just two games at the bottom two singles flights, and Peacock clinched the dual with her 6-2, 6-0 victory against Brown at No. 6.

"We lost this one in the doubles," XU coach Alan Green said. "We fought hard to split the singles. I have to do a better job with our doubles teams."

A year ago, the Nuggets won only one set and just five combined doubles games in a 7-0 loss at McNeese.

Xavier's women and men will play Belhaven at 3 p.m. Thursday at the XU Tennis Center. Xavier's men are ranked 10th in the NAIA. Belhaven's men are 12th, and its women are 22nd.


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