Rush, Nuggets defeat Jackson State; qualifier is next

JACKSON, Miss. -- Kyle Montrel's 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 decision against Jose Luque clinched Xavier University of Louisiana's 4-3 men's tennis victory against Jackson State on Sunday.

Xavier's women extended their win streak to six duals with a 5-2 victory against Jackson State.

It was the regular-season finale for both XU teams. The Gold Rush (12-7), ranked eighth in the NAIA, and the Gold Nuggets (14-7), ranked sixth, will compete Friday and Saturday in an NAIA unaffiliated group tournament at Jonesboro, Ga. Winners will receive automatic berths to next month's NAIA National Championship.

Montrel, a freshman, won for the 11th time in his last 13 singles matches and earned his second dual-clinching victory of the season. Jackson State tied the dual at 3 when Carlos Martinez beat Nikita Soifer 6-4, 6-0 at No. 2 singles.

Loic Didavi and Viktor Svoboda also won in singles. Svoboda and Soifer clinched the doubles point with an 8-6 decision against Luque and Ernesto Morales. Svoboda and Soifer won for the 11th time in their last 12 doubles matches.

In the women's dual, the Gold Nuggets and won the final three singles matches to break at tie at 2. Freshman Brion Flowers clinched for the first time this season; she beat Harshini Reddy 6-2, 7-6 (7-0) at No. 2 singles.

Also winning in singles for Xavier were Kourtney Howell, Amber Brown and Vashni Balleste. Howell beat Karen Martinez 5-7, 6-3, 1-0 (10-4) at No. 1, and Brown -- playing at No. 3 for the first time this season after spending most of her time at No. 5 -- beat Rebekah Adewumi 6-0, 6-2.

The Nuggets clinched the doubles point when Nicole DeLoach and Jordyn Goody beat Laura Rojas and Adewumi 8-5. It was the first victory this season for that pairing, and it was Goody's first doubles victory since Feb. 17.

The dual victories were the Rush's fourth of the season and the Nuggets' third against NCAA Division I opponents. The XU women played Jackson State for the first time in four years.

Pairings for the unaffilated group tournaments will be announced Monday. New NAIA coaches polls will be announced Tuesday, and XU coach Alan Green expects his women -- who are 9-0 against ranked opponents and have victories against No. 2 William Carey and No. 3 Auburn Montgomery -- to climb to first or second. The Nuggets have won 10 of their last 12 duals, including their last five on the road.

Results: Men Women


By Ed Cassiere, SID
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA