UNO defeats Gold Nuggets 6-1; Abbes wins in singles

Nour Abbes

NEW ORLEANS -- Coach Alan Green was hoping for more but got only Nour (Abbes) in Xavier University of Louisiana's 6-1 women's tennis loss Saturday at the University of New Orleans.

Abbes, the NAIA's No. 1 singles player, scored the Gold Nuggets' lone point of the dual match when she defeated Soledad Calderon Arroyo 7-5, 6-4. Abbes is unbeaten in singles this semester against the city's NCAA Division I members, UNO and Tulane, and she is 35-1 in singles in her XU career.

Brion Flowers was the only other Xavier player to win a set, but she lost her match 3-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-5) to Yasmine Rashad at No. 5 singles. Caroline Vernet led 5-2 at No. 2 before losing 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 to Marta Sans.

Xavier (4-4), ranked third in the NAIA, is 0-4 this semester against NCAA Division I opponents.

UNO (5-4) won at No. 1 and 3 to earn the doubles point and clinched the dual at No. 4 singles when Anna Segarra Rius defeated Jana van der Walt 6-1, 6-4.

"I thought we let this one get away from us," Green said. "We got off to a slow start in doubles. Then we started to pick it up, but it was too little, too late.

"I thought we matched up well with UNO, but we didn't get the job done. We talked for awhile afterward. We talked about making adjustments. We're going to make those adjustments and move forward from there. We have some concerns, but no one is pushing the panic button."

Xavier will play NAIA No. 7 Brenau at 2 p.m. Monday in Mobile, Ala., a neutral site. It will be the Gold Nuggets' first dual of the season against a ranked opponent. The next home dual for the Gold Nuggets and the Gold Rush will start at 2 p.m. Tuesday against Alcorn State at XU Tennis Center.


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director  
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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