NEW ORLEANS -- For the Xavier University of Louisiana men's tennis program, the beat goes on.The Gold Rush were eighth in the NAIA Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll announced Tuesday. It's the 30th consecutive top-10 appearance for Xavier in a streak which began May 3, 2011.
Xavier will play its first dual match of 2015 at 3 p.m. Friday against city rival Loyola at XU Tennis Center. XU's and Loyola's women's teams also will play at that time.
The XU men have the same ranking they finished 2014 with. It's the Gold Rush's 60th consecutive top-25 appearance; that streak began April 4, 2007.
Defending champion Georgia Gwinnett, 21-0 last season, is the preseason No. 1. There are six preseason top-25 teams on Xavier's schedule: No. 10 Belhaven (Feb. 7 at XU), No. 22 William Carey (March 19 at Hattiesburg, Miss.), No. 4 Vanguard (March 30 at Costa Mesa, Calif.), No. 19 Lewis-Clark State (March 31 at La Mirada, Calif.), No. 9 Westmont (April 1 at Santa Barbara, Calif.) and No. 3 Auburn Montgomery (April 10 at XU).
All-Americans Kyle Montrel and Nikita Soifer are among six Gold Rush returning lettermen.
The first regular-season rankings will be announced Feb. 17.
The top 25:
1. Georgia Gwinnett
2. Embry-Riddle (Fla.)
3. Auburn Montgomery
4. Vanguard
5. Lindsey Wilson
6. Cumberland
7. Bethany (Kan.)
8. Xavier
9. Westmont
10. Belhaven
11. Concordia (Calif.)
12. Graceland
13. Coastal Georgia
14. Northwood (Fla.)
15. SCAD Atlanta
16. Pikeville
17. Olivet Nazarene
18. Oklahoma Baptist
19. (tie) SCAD Savannah
19. (tie) Lewis-Clark State
21. Mobile
22. (tie) William Carey
22. (tie) Indiana Wesleyan
24. San Diego Christian
25. Webber International
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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