In matchups of ranked teams, XU beats Belhaven twice

NEW ORLEANS -- Both Xavier University of Louisiana tennis teams defeated ranked NAIA opponents Thursday at the XU Tennis Center. The Gold Nuggets, ranked 11th, beat No. 22 Belhaven 9-0. The Gold Rush, ranked 10th, rallied to defeat No. 12 Belhaven 5-4.

Both XU teams snapped two-dual losing streaks. The women are 4-3, and the men are 4-4. Both Belhaven teams are 3-1.

The XU women did not drop a set against Belhaven. Kourtney Howell, Brion Flowers, Amanda Materre and Simone-Alyse Ewell won in singles and doubles for the Gold Nuggets, and Materre clinched the dual with her 6-2, 6-1 victory against Natalia Krier at No. 3 singles.

"The Nuggets come out and took care of business from start to finish," XU coach Alan Green said. "it was a good match played today."

The victory was the Gold Nuggets' second of the season against a ranked opponent.

The Gold Rush trailed 3-2 before getting singles victories from Loic Didavi, Nikita Soifer and Kyle Montrel, who clinched the dual with his 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 decision against Daniel Prado at No. 3. The No. 1 doubles team of Soifer and Montrel improved to 7-0 this semester after an 8-3 decision against David Mejia and Daniel Duarte.

"The Rush had another tough opponent which came out and was really intense against us," Green said. "We fought back from three match points at No. 2 doubles, which ended up being the deciding factor in the match. I have a bunch of mentally tough guys playing for us."

Soifer and Viktor Svoboda won that No. 2 doubles match 9-8 against Prado and Jefferson Nino.

It was the first Gold Rush victory this season against a ranked opponent. The XU men defeated a school-record 10 ranked opponents a year ago.

Both XU teams will travel to Jackson, Miss., for Saturday duals against Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opponents Tougaloo and Fisk. But the Gold Nuggets' schedule is a little busier, with a 3 p.m. home dual Friday against Southern and a 4 p.m. Sunday dual at Southeastern Louisiana. The SLU dual was pushed back two hours due to expected cold weather. Both XU teams will play Shorter at 2 p.m. Monday at the XU Tennis Center, which will result in six duals in five days for the Gold Nuggets.

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