HOUMA, La. -- Eva Castiglioni, Emma Pitre and Marie Aubert won in doubles and singles Saturday to lead Nicholls State in a 4-0 women's tennis victory against NAIA No. 13 Xavier University of Louisiana.
The Colonels (3-2) earned their third consecutive victory. The Gold Nuggets are 1-1.
Aubert and Isla Brock clinched the doubles point with their 8-4 victory against Amanda Materre and Simone-Alyce Ewell at the second flight. Castiglioni clinched the dual by defeating Amber Brown 6-2, 6-4 at No. 5 singles.
Three singles matches were not completed, and Xavier won a set in each. Xavier's Kourtney Howell led Natalia Cardiff 7-6 (7-4), 3-4 at No. 1, and Materre led Rachel Howie 3-6, 6-1, 5-0 at No. 3. Ewell split sets with Brock at No. 4 before Brock forged a 4-1 lead in the third.
In the other doubles matches, Cardiff and former XU recruit Parija Maloo beat Howell and Brion Flowers 8-5 at No. 1, and Castiglioni and Pitre defeated Brown and Nicole DeLoach 8-4 at No. 3. Pitre beat DeLoach 6-0, 6-0 at No. 6 singles, and Aubert beat Flowers 6-2, 6-3 at No. 2.
"We almost had a chance for a comeback," XU coach Alan Green said. "We came out tentative in doubles, and I think it set us back a lot. We picked it up in singles, but Nicholls State did just enough to close us out."
Despite Green's disappointment in his doubles teams, the combined XU games won in those three matches were more than the Nuggets achieved in 9-of-10 duals against NCAA Division I teams a year ago. Nicholls State is the first of nine Gold Nuggets opponents from that level this season.
The Gold Nuggets' next match will start at 3 p.m. Feb. 15 at Prairie View A&M. The next home dual will start at 2 p.m. on Feb. 23 against McNeese State.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
XULAATHLETICS
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