Thursday, February 21, 2013

Montrel still unbeaten in doubles, but Cajuns beat Xavier


LAFAYETTE, La. — Xavier University of Louisiana freshman Kyle Montrel extended his winning streak in doubles Tuesday, but the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets lost 6-1 tennis duals to Louisiana-Lafayette.

Montrel, a freshman who did not play during the fall semester, and NAIA All-America Loic Didavi teamed for an 8-4 victory against Rick de Groot and Jake Wynan at No. 1 doubles. Montrel and Didavi are 6-0 this season.

Montrel also won in singles, beating Edgar Lopez 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 at No. 3. Montrel is 2-0 in singles against NCAA Division I opponents. The Gold Rush (3-4) are ranked 10th in the NAIA.

NAIA All-America Kourtney Howell won in doubles and singles for the Gold Nuggets (3-2), who are ranked 11th. Howell and Brion Flowers, a freshman playing in her hometown, defeated Nicole Breaux and Bailey VanDyke 8-0 at No. 1. It was the Nuggets' first 8-0 victory in doubles against an NCAA D-I opponent since March 2009.

Howell defeated VanDyke 6-2, 0-6, 6-2 at No. 1 singles. It was the third consecutive time that Howell split sets and the second consecutive time that she won. None of those three matches was decided by a super-tiebreaker.

Melissa Burckhartt clinched the women's dual for Louisiana-Lafayette (4-4) with a 6-0, 6-1 victory against Simone-Alyse Ewell at No. 4 singles. In the men's dual, the Ragin' Cajuns (5-4) clinched when Wynan beat Nikita Soifer 7-5, 6-1 at No. 2 singles.

The XU women will play another NCAA D-I opponent, McNeese State, at 2 p.m. Saturday at the new XU Tennis Center. The next Gold Rush dual will start at 3 p.m. Feb. 28 at XU against NAIA No. 12 Belhaven.


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

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