NEW ORLEANS -- For the second consecutive year, Xavier University of Louisiana is No. 3 in the NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll. The NAIA announced rankings Tuesday.
The Gold Nuggets are in the same position they held in the 2014 postseason poll. Xavier was 17-7 last season and became the first XU team in any sport to reach the NAIA's national semifinals two straight times.
The Gold Nuggets' active poll streaks include 22 consecutive top-25 appearances, 17 straight times in the top 10 and seven consecutive top-3 appearances.
Xavier returns eight letterwomen from 2014, including All-Americans Nour Abbes, Brion Flowers and Simone-Alyse Ewell. Abbes, a sophomore, is the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's top-ranked NAIA singles player.
The Gold Nuggets will play their first dual match of 2015 at 3 p.m. Friday against city rival Loyola at XU Tennis Center. XU's and Loyola's men's teams also will play at that time. The XU men are ranked eighth.
Defending champion Georgia Gwinnett, 18-4 last season, is the preseason No. 1. It's just the third time in 15 seasons that Auburn Montgomery does not hold that distinction.
There are five preseason top-25 teams on the Gold Nuggets' schedule: No. 6 Brenau (Feb. 23 at Mobile, Ala.), No. 11 Vanguard (March 30 at Costa Mesa, Calif.), No. 17 Lewis-Clark State (March 31 at La Mirada, Calif.), No. 12 Westmont (April 1 at Santa Barbara, Calif.) and No. 5 Auburn Montgomery (April 10 at XU).
The first regular-season rankings will be announced Feb. 17.
The top 25:
1. Georgia Gwinnett
2. Embry-Riddle (Fla.)
3. Xavier
4. Lindsey Wilson
5. Auburn Montgomery
6. Brenau
7. Northwood (Fla.)
8. SCAD Savannah
9. Oklahoma Baptist
10. Concordia (Calif.)
11. Vanguard
12. (tie) Davenport
12. (tie) Westmont
14. Milligan
15. Indiana Wesleyan
16. Coastal Georgia
17. Lewis-Clark State
18. Cardinal Stritch
19. Northwestern Ohio
20. Marian (Ind.)
21. Campbellsville
22. Southeastern (Fla.)
23. Olivet Nazarene
24. McPherson
25. CumberlandEd Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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