NEW ORLEANS -- For the second consecutive year, Xavier University of Louisiana will be the No. 1 seed in the NAIA Women's Tennis National Championship at Mobile, Ala.The NAIA announced late Tuesday afternoon the top eight seeds and pairings for the five-day, 24-team tournament. The Gold Nuggets (15-6) have a first-round bye and will play in the second round at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 14 against Davenport or Lewis-Clark State. The Panthers (22-4) and Warriors (5-16) will meet in the first round on May 13.
Copeland-Cox Tennis Center (851 Gaillard Drive, zip code 36608, phone 251-208-5181) will be the site of all matches. All women's duals are scheduled for 9 a.m. Mobile is the tournament site for the 11th consecutive year.
The appearance at nationals is the Nuggets' third in a row and their eighth overall -- all in the past 10 seasons.
Xavier is No. 1 in the two most recent coaches polls and has been in the top five in 11 of the last 12 polls. The Nuggets climbed from No. 2 to the top spot after winning 5-3 at home against then-No. 1 Georgia Gwinnett in the championship of the NAIA Unaffiliated Group 2 Tournament on April 26. That victory also earned Xavier an automatic bid to nationals.
A year ago, the Nuggets became the first XU team in any sport to reach the national semifinals. After beating Indiana Wesleyan and Embry-Riddle (Fla.) in their first two tournament duals, the Nuggets lost to William Carey in the semifinals.
Davenport was 16th and Lewis-Clark State 17th in the coaches poll announced Monday. Davenport, another unaffiliated group tournament champion, is making its second straight appearance at nationals and its second overall. Lewis-Clark State earned an at-large bid for its 14th appearance.
Xavier never has played Davenport or Lewis-Clark State.
The Nuggets' all-time record at nationals is 7-7, including five consecutive first-round victories. Their 5-0 decision against Indiana Wesleyan a year ago was their first victory in the second round.
Freshman Nour Abbes, senior Kourtney Howell and sophomore Brion Flowers are Xavier's top three players. Abbes was second, Howell 16th and Flowers 27th in the most recent Intercollegiate Tennis Association NAIA singles rankings, and Howell and Flowers are fifth in doubles. Alan Green is in his 11th season as coach of XU's women's and men's teams.
This is the fifth time in the last six years that both XU teams qualified for the national tournament. After completing final exams on Wednesday, they will depart for Mobile on Sunday afternoon and will participate in an NAIA Champions of Characater function -- a visit to a local school -- on Monday.
Bracket
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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