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| Xavier's Nikita Soifer, left, and Kyle Montrel were 17-6 at No. 1 doubles this year. |
NEW ORLEANS — For the first time in the modern era of men's tennis at Xavier University of Louisiana, the Gold Rush have two first-team All-Americans in the same season. Sophomore Kyle Montrel and junior Nikita Soifer received that honor Monday from the NAIA.
They were the best players on a Gold Rush team which finished 13-12 and reached the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Championship for the third consecutive year. The Gold Rush ranked ninth in the NAIA entering the national tournament — the postseason poll will be announced Wednesday — and extended the program's top-10 streak to 28 polls dating to May 2011.
Montrel, from Atlanta and a graduate of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, was 16-10 in singles and 19-7 in doubles this season and was chosen Wilson/ITA NAIA Region IV Player to Watch. He is the first Gold Rush tennis sophomore to be named first-team All-America. He received All-America honorable mention a year ago.
Soifer, from Beer Sheva, Israel, and a graduate of Hof Hasharon school, was 15-10 in singles and 22-7 in doubles. He was second-team All-America a year ago, and he is the program's third player to earn first- or second-team All-America twice. The others were Zach Taylor in 2011 and 2012 and Loic Didavi in 2012 and 2013.
Montrel and Soifer played No. 1 doubles for Xavier and were 17-6 this year, including three victories against top-20 opponents.
Coach Alan Green's Gold Rush have produced four first-team All-Americans and seven second-team selections, all in the last seven seasons.The ITA will announce its NAIA All-Americans after compiling its final singles and doubles rankings.
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