Nuggets win again; Gold Rush lose 5-4 to No. 2 AUM

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Xavier University of Louisiana's women's tennis team defeated Campbellsville 6-3 Sunday to finish 3-0 in the AUM Invitational, all against ranked NAIA opponents.

The Gold Rush lost 5-4 to the host school, NAIA No. 2 Auburn Montgomery, and finished 2-1 in the event.

The Gold Nuggets (7-5), ranked 10th in the NAIA, equaled their victory total of 2012 and are 5-0 this season against ranked teams. Campbellsville (1-5) is ranked 13th.

Kourtney Howell and Amanda Materre won in doubles and singles for the Xavier women, who were 7-22 a year ago. Materre clinched the dual with her 6-1, 6-2 victory against Lindy Charity and is 9-0 this semester at No. 3 singles.

Jordyn Goody, in just her second singles match this semester, gave the Gold Nuggets a 6-0 lead when she beat Kelsie Peckham 6-2, 6-0 at No. 6. Campbellsville then won the final three singles matches, two in third-set super-tiebreakers.

The unexpected attrition which hit the Gold Rush (6-5), ranked 10th, between semesters was a factor against AUM. Xavier won 4-of-7 matches on the court but defaulted the No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles matches because of only five available players. The forfeits at those flights have been part of every Rush dual in 2013.

Nicolas Pinones-Haltenhoff clinched the dual and gave AUM (9-1) a 5-2 lead with his 6-2, 6-2 victory against Nikita Soifer at No. 2 singles. Xavier then got third-set super-tiebreaker victories from Loic Didavi and Viktor Svoboda, and for the second straight year the Gold Rush lost 5-4 to the Warhawks on the final day of this event.

Didavi and Kyle Montrel lost for the second consecutive day at No. 1 doubles after winning their first eight matches this semester. Bence Toth and Tim Hewitt defeated them 8-5.

The victory was AUM's eighth in a row, with the last six coming against ranked NAIA teams. The Warhawks ended Xavier's season-best three-dual win streak. Both Rush victories at AUM were against ranked opponents.

"I'm so proud of how both our teams represented the university in this event," XU coach Alan Green said. "I couldn't ask for more from them. We gave everything we had this weekend and will return (home) with some good wins in the national picture."

Xavier's women will play NCAA Division I's Idaho at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the new XU Tennis Center. Both XU teams will play another D-I opponent, Alcorn State, at 3 p.m. Friday at Xavier. Admission is free to all XU home matches.

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