Sunday, February 17, 2013

Unbeaten day for Gold Rush, Nuggets in Texas duals

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- Xavier University of Louisiana's tennis teams won their suspended duals Saturday morning against Oklahoma Baptist, then the Gold Rush won 4-3 in the evening against NCAA Division I's Prairie View A&M.

The Gold Nuggets (2-1), ranked 13th in the NAIA, rallied for a 5-4 victory against 18th-ranked OBU. The Gold Rush (3-2), ranked eighth, defeated the Bison 6-3. Both duals were suspended Friday night after a rain delay and a power failure.

Loic Didavi won the first two points Saturday against Marco Carvajal to complete a 5-7, 6-0, 6-3 victory at No. 1 singles and clinch the suspended men's dual. The Gold Nuggets won their dual without victories from their top doubles team or their top two singles players, but XU freshmen Simone-Alyse Ewell and Vashni Balleste scored the final two team points. Balleste clinched with a 6-2, 6-1 victory against Kelsi Lord at No. 6 singles.

Nikita Soifer clinched the evening dual with a 6-3, 6-0 decision against Prairie View's Craig Wiltz at No. 2 singles. Kyle Montrel and Viktor Svoboda also won for the Gold Rush in singles, and Xavier won the doubles point.

The Gold Rush have won two straight.

"These guys are playing some tough tennis," XU coach Alan Green said. "I couldn't ask for a better team effort. We needed every single match we won. I told them this is how it's going to be the rest of the year. We are finding ways to win."

Because the Gold Rush has five eligible players this season, it must forfeit matches at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles in every dual.

The women scored their first 5-4 road victory against a non-conference opponent since the start of 2006-07 season. It was the Nuggets' first 5-4 non-conference victory since beating Southern by that score on Jan. 27, 2008.

Xavier will conclude its trip after 9 a.m. duals Sunday. The Gold Rush will play NAIA No. 10 Bethany (Kan.), and the Gold Nuggets will play Prairie View.

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


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