Five from Xavier are selected ITA NAIA All-America

Nour Abbes

Kourtney Howell

Brion Flowers

NEW ORLEANS -- Five from Xavier University of Louisiana, including a school-record four from the women's team, have been named Intercollegiate Tennis Association NAIA All-Americans for the 2013-14 season.

Freshman Nour Abbes, sophomores Simone-Alyse Ewell and Brion Flowers and senior Kourtney Howell are the Gold Nuggets' All-Americans. Selected from the men's team was sophomore Kyle Montrel.  All five qualified for All-America by being top 20 in singles or top 10 in doubles in the ITA's postseason individual rankings.

Flowers, Howell and Montrel are repeat All-America selections. Howell was honored for the third consecutive year.

For the second straight year, the Gold Nuggets set program records for highest postseason national rankings. Abbes is No. 2 in singles, and Howell and Flowers are No. 2 in doubles. The previous postseason highs were No. 6 in singles by Howell and No. 3 in doubles by Howell and Flowers.

Kyle Montrel

Simone-Alyse Ewell

Howell is 13th in singles, and Abbes and Ewell are ninth in doubles. Also ranked nationally in singles are Nikita Soifer of the Gold Rush (26th) and Flowers (35th). Montrel and Soifer are 14th in doubles.

Abbes is from Tunis, Tunisia, and a graduate of Lycée Sportif d'El Menzah. Ewell is from Detroit and a graduate of The Roeper School. Flowers is from Lafayette, La., and a graduate of St. Thomas More High School. Howell is from Cypress, Texas, and a graduate of Cypress Woods High School. Montrel is from Atlanta and a graduate of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy. Soifer is a junior from Beer Sheva, Israel, and a graduate of Hof Sasharon.

Xavier's women were 17-7 in 2014, reached the semifinals of the NAIA National Championship for the second consecutive year and ranked third in the postseason coaches poll. The men were 13-12, reached the national quarterfinals for the third straight year and ranked eighth.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
https://twitter.com/xulagold
https://www.facebook.com/xulagold