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| Nour Abbes |
The XU men and women will open the season at 3 p.m. Jan. 30 — one week from Friday — against city rival Loyola at XU Tennis Center.
The Gold Nuggets were 17-7 last season and became the first XU team in any sport to reach the NAIA's national semifinals in consecutive years. They were ranked No. 1 in two consecutive polls and, for the second straight season, finished at No. 3. The Gold Rush were 13-12 in 2014 and became the first XU team to reach the NAIA's national quarterfinals three consecutive years.
NAIA National Championship qualifiers from 2014 on the XU schedules are:
Men and Women: Auburn Montgomery, Vanguard and Westmont.
Men Only: Belhaven and William Carey.
Women Only: Brenau and Lewis-Clark State.
NCAA Division I opponents will be:
Men and Women: Alcorn State, Louisiana-Lafayette, New Orleans and Nicholls State.
Men Only: Troy.
Women Only: Southern and Tulane.
Both XU teams could play additional ranked NAIA opponents or 2014 national-tourney qualifiers in the AUM Invitational at Montgomery, Ala., March 6-8. Brackets for that event have not been determined. AUM, Belhaven, Campbellsville, Cumberland, Martin Methodist, Pikeville, William Carey and Xavier are scheduled to compete.
The Rush and Nuggets will close the regular season April 11 at West Florida, whose men were 29-0 last year and won the NCAA Division II national championship and whose women ranked seventh in the postseason poll.
The men of Auburn Montgomery and Vanguard were NAIA semifinalists last year. The women of AUM and Brenau reached the quarterfinals.
Another high-powered opponent will be Lewis-Clark State's men, who ranked 22nd in the postseason.
It will be the third season of the XU Tennis Center, a $2.5 million facility which opened in October 2012.
Five All-Americans — Nikita Soifer and Kyle Montrel on the men's team, Nour Abbes, Simone-Alyse Ewell and Brion Flowers on the women's — return for Xavier. Green was the Wilson/ITA NAIA Women's Region IV Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2013. Last year the Rush defeated two NCAA D-I opponents and seven ranked NAIA teams, and the Nuggets beat three NCAA D-I opponents and 10 ranked NAIA teams, six in the top 10.
Abbes, a sophomore, won the NAIA singles division of the USTA/ITA National Small College Championships in October and finished second in the "Super Bowl" playoff. Abbes was the ITA/NAIA National Rookie of the Year in 2014.
The NAIA will announce its preseason men's and women's top-25 team polls on Tuesday. The first ITA NAIA individual player rankings of the spring will be released March 11.
2015 Xavier University of Louisiana Women's Tennis Schedule
click here for schedule with site details
30 Friday: LOYOLA, 3 p.m.
31 Saturday: at Tulane, 2 p.m. (1)
February
7 Saturday: BELHAVEN, noon
8 Sunday: LSU-ALEXANDRIA, noon
11 Wednesday: at Louisiana-Lafayette, 4:30 p.m.
14 Saturday: WILLIAM CAREY, 11 a.m.
21 Saturday: at New Orleans, 3 p.m.
23 Monday: Brenau, 2 p.m. (2)
24 Tuesday: at Alcorn State, 3 p.m.
28 Saturday: RHODES, 10 a.m.
28 Saturday: • TOUGALOO, 2 p.m.
March
6 Friday-8 Sunday: at AUM Invitational, Montgomery, Ala.
15 Sunday: at Southern, noon
17 Tuesday: at Nicholls State, 10 a.m.
19 Thursday: at William Carey, 3 p.m.
30 Monday: at Vanguard, 1 p.m. PDT
31 Tuesday: Lewis-Clark State, TBA (3)
April
1 Wednesday: at Westmont, noon PDT
10 Friday: AUBURN MONTGOMERY, 2:30 p.m.
11 Saturday: at West Florida, 10 a.m.
24 Friday-25 Saturday: NAIA UNAFFILIATED GROUP TOURNAMENT at XU Tennis Center and one additional site
May
12 Tuesday-16 Saturday: NAIA National Championship at Mobile, Ala.
Home matches in BOLD TYPE
• Gulf Coast Athletic Conference match
All times are Central except where noted
(1) at City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center
(2) at Mobile, Ala.
(3) at La Mirada, Calif.
TBA — to be announced
Schedule is subject to change
2015 Xavier University of Louisiana Men's Tennis Schedule
click here for schedule with site details
January
30 Friday: LOYOLA, 3 p.m.
February
6 Friday: at Louisiana-Lafayette, 6 p.m.
7 Saturday: BELHAVEN, noon
14 Saturday: WILLIAM CAREY, 11 a.m.
24 Tuesday: at Alcorn State, 3 p.m.
25 Wednesday: at New Orleans, 3 p.m.
28 Saturday: RHODES, 10 a.m.
28 Saturday: • TOUGALOO, 2 p.m.
March
6 Friday-8 Sunday: at AUM Invitational, Montgomery, Ala.
12 Thursday: Troy, 2 p.m. (1)
19 Thursday: at William Carey, 3 p.m.
22 Sunday: at Nicholls State, 11 a.m.
30 Monday: at Vanguard, 1 p.m. PDT
31 Tuesday: Lewis-Clark State, TBA (2)
April
1 Wednesday: at Westmont, noon PDT
10 Friday: AUBURN MONTGOMERY, 2:30 p.m.
11 Saturday: at West Florida, 10 a.m.
24 Friday-25 Saturday: NAIA UNAFFILIATED GROUP TOURNAMENT at XU Tennis Center and one additional site
May
12 Tuesday-16 Saturday: NAIA National Championship at Mobile, Ala.
Home matches in BOLD TYPE
• Gulf Coast Athletic Conference match
All times are Central except where noted
(1) at Pensacola, Fla.
(2) at La Mirada, Calif.
TBA — to be announced
Schedule is subject to change
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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