Wet forecast pushes back NAIA tournament start to Saturday

NEW ORLEANS — A 90-percent chance of rain has postponed Friday's tennis matches — including those of Xavier University of Louisiana's men and women — in an NAIA unaffiliated group qualifying tournament at Jonesboro, Ga.

Intellicast.com predicts showers and thundershowers Friday morning, then cloudy with rain likely in the afternoon, perhaps with thunder. But sunny skies are expected for the weekend, with highs of 67 on Saturday and 70 on Sunday. Overnight lows will be 42 and 45.

Friday's first-day schedule at Clayton County Tennis Center was moved to Saturday. For the Gold Rush, ranked fifth in the NAIA and two-time defending champion of this event, that still means a bye in the quarterfinals and a semifinal dual against fourth-seeded SCAD Atlanta or fifth-seeded Reinhardt no sooner than 2 p.m. EDT. Xavier's women, ranked first in the NAIA and the 2012 champion of this event, will play no sooner than 11:30 a.m. EDT against Fisk in the quarterfinals. If the Nuggets advance, they'll play Columbia (S.C.) or Tennessee Wesleyan in the semifinals no sooner than 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

The championship duals will be played Sunday. Meet director Glen Hill, the SCAD Atlanta men's and women's tennis coach, wrote in an email to participating schools that an early simultaneous start of the men's and women's finals is possible to help with return travel. That could be a blessing for the Rush and Nuggets, who will try to make it home in time for Xavier's athletics award banquet Sunday night.

The men's and women's tournament champions will receive automatic berths in the NAIA National Championship, which will be played May 14-18 at Mobile, Ala.

NAIA Unaffiliated Group Tournament WOMEN Clayton County Tennis Center, Jonesboro, Ga. . . . all times Eastern Quarterfinals — Saturday, April 20 #1 Xavier vs. #8 Fisk, not before 11:30 a.m. #4 Columbia (S.C.) vs. #5 Tennessee Wesleyan, not before 11:30 a.m. #3 Milligan vs. #6 Reinhardt, not before 11:30 a.m. #2 SCAD Atlanta vs. #7 Tougaloo, not before 11:30 a.m. Semifinals — Saturday, April 20 Xavier-Fisk winner vs. Columbia (S.C.)-Tennessee Wesleyan winner, not before 4:30 p.m. Milligan-Reinhardt winner vs. SCAD Atlanta-Tougaloo winner, not before 4:30 p.m. Championship — Sunday, April 21 Semifinal winners, TBA

NAIA Unaffiliated Group Tournament MEN Clayton County Tennis Center, Jonesboro, Ga. . . . all times Eastern Quarterfinals — Saturday, April 20 #1 Xavier has a bye #4 SCAD Atlanta vs. #5 Reinhardt, 9 a.m. #3 Tennessee Wesleyan vs. #6 Tougaloo, 9 a.m. #2 Milligan vs. #7 Fisk, 9 a.m. Semifinals — Saturday, April 20 Xavier vs. SCAD Atlanta-Reinhardt winner, not before 2 p.m. Milligan-Fisk winner vs. Tennessee Wesleyan-Tougaloo winner, not before 2 p.m. Championship — Sunday, April 21 Semifinal winners, TBA

By Ed Cassiere, SID
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSIY OF LOUISIANA