XU Gold Nuggets climb to No. 8 — their highest ranking ever

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana climbed two places Tuesday to eighth — the Gold Nuggets' highest ranking ever — in the NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll.

The Gold Nuggets (8-6) topped the previous program record of ninth place on March 7, 2007. It's the third time the XU women have been in the top 10 and the second consecutive poll they've been there.

Xavier won 4-of-5 dual matches since the March 5 poll, including victories against top-25 members Cumberland, Coastal Georgia and Campbellsville in the AUM Invitational at Montgomery, Ala.

Starting with the 2012 postseason poll, when they moved from 20th to 19th, this is the fifth consecutive time that the Gold Nuggets have climbed. They were 13th in the preseaason, moved to 11th on Feb. 19 and to 10th two weeks ago. This is the highest NAIA ranking by an XU women's team since basketball was eighth on Feb. 25, 2003.

Both XU teams will play at the University of New Orleans at 3 p.m. Wednesday, then play three duals in Florida next week during spring break. For the Gold Nuggets, that will include matchups with No. 7 Embry-Riddle and No. 14 Northwood. The Nuggets are 5-0 this season against ranked NAIA opponents. Their home finale will be April 6 against No. 3 Auburn Montgomery.

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, March 17) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Brenau (12) 8-1 312 3 2 William Carey 4-4 300 1 3 Auburn Montgomery 7-5 290 2 4 SCAD Savannah 3-2 285 4 5 Lindsey Wilson 4-2 271 5 6 Westmont 11-1 261 6 7 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 5-6 252 7 8 Xavier 8-6 238 10 9 Concordia (Calif.) 6-6 236 8 10 Lewis-Clark State 3-4 224 9 11 Vanguard 7-10 212 11 12 Indiana Wesleyan 15-0 198 12 13 Oklahoma Baptist 5-4 188 14 14 Northwood (Fla.) 6-1 177 tie-16 15 Coastal Georgia 3-6 176 tie-16 16 Campbellsville 2-5 158 13 17 Olivet Nazarene 5-5 150 15 18 Lee (Tenn.) 2-2 138 18 19 St. Thomas (Fla.) 4-4 137 21 20 Cumberland 2-3 117 22 21 Marian (Ind.) 14-4 116 19 22 Nebraska Wesleyan 1-4 82 23 23-tie Robert Morris (Chicago) 0-1 76 20 23-tie Belhaven 4-3 76 24 25 Milligan 8-1 74 25 Others receiving votes: Southeastern (Fla.) 68, Davenport 60, Martin Methodist 30, Bethel (Kan.) 25, Ashford 19, Georgetown (Ky.) 13, Aquinas 12, Indiana Southeast 8, Evangel 8, Graceland 5, Hope International 3, SCAD Atlanta 3.

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