Nuggets Tame Lions, but Unbeaten Vanguard Men Defeat XU

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COSTA MESA, California — Xavier University of Louisiana defeated Vanguard 8-1 in women's tennis Monday, but the XU men lost 6-3 to the Lions.

The Gold Nuggets (14-8), ranked seventh in the NAIA, are 3-0 against top-25 opponents during their trip to the Golden State. The Gold Rush (11-6) lost to fourth-ranked Vanguard (19-0) after beating top-10 teams Saturday and Sunday.

The XU women swept the doubles for the second consecutive day. They got doubles and singles victories from Caroline Vernet, Carmen Nelson and Simone-Alyse Ewell, all of whom defeated regionally ranked singles players.

Nelson clinched the dual and stretched her singles win streak to a season-best four matches with her 6-0, 7-6 (7-3) victory against Ashley Wao-Udin. Sha'Nel Bruins won her sixth in a row, 7-5, 6-1 against Brooke Ferslov-Jensen.

At the top flight, Vernet and Ewell defeated Sarah Edwards and Nataliya Yamkova 8-3. Vernet earned consecutive doubles victories for the first time since Feb. 7-8.

Vanguard's women are 5-12 and ranked 15th.

In the men's dual, Vanguard opted to start with singles matches — and won 5-of-6. Manav Chakma earned the lone Gold Rush victory, a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 decision against Michael Rjazanov, who was 12-1 this semester.

Xavier's Nikita Soifer and Tushar Mandlekar won first singles sets. Mandlekar had a match point at 5-4 in the second set before losing 3-6, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 to Filip Burnac. Adam Albrecht led 4-3 in his first set and was serving for the second set at 5-4 before losing 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) to Daymon Johnson.

Nour Abbes

Vanguard's top three singles players, Stefan Kilchhofer, Fabio Silva and Roger Muri, improved their spring records to a combined 53-0 by beating Kyle Montrel, Soifer and Jordan Harrell.

Silva (19-0) beat Soifer 3-6, 6-1, 6-2. Kilchhofer, ranked third in the NAIA, is 16-0 after beating Montrel 6-3, 6-3. Muri is 18-0 after defeating Harrell 6-1, 6-1.

Then the Gold Rush won 2-of-3 doubles matches, and not all the Vanguard streaks survived. Mandlekar and Chakma beat Silva and Burnac 8-3, the Lions' first loss of the season at No. 2. Burnac entered 17-0.

Kevin Chaouat and Albrecht defeated Johnson and Rjazanov 8-3 at the third flight. But Montrel and Soifer, the NAIA's sixth-ranked doubles team, lost for the third consecutive day, this time 8-6 to third-ranked Kilchhofer and Muri.

"A very close match on the men's side," XU coach Alan Green said. "We had chances to win the thing, but it wasn't to be."

Both Xavier teams will conclude their trip by playing Lewis-Clark State at 10 a.m. PDT Tuesday at Biola University in La Mirada. Both LC State teams are ranked 19th in the NAIA. The Rush and Nuggets will fly home Tuesday evening.

NOTES: The Nuggets are 4-2 this season against ranked NAIA opponents, and the Rush are 6-2 . . . The Nuggets have won 10 of their last 13 duals . . . New NAIA coaches polls will be announced Tuesday afternoon . . . Vanguard announced March 5 that it will discontinue men's and women's tennis after the 2014-15 academic year.

Caroline Vernet

Women's Tennis Results
Xavier 8, Vanguard 1

Monday, March 30, 2015
Costa Mesa Tennis Center, Costa Mesa, Calif.

Doubles
No. 1 — Caroline Vernet - Simone-Alyse Ewell (XU) d. Sarah Edwards-Nataliya Yamkova (VU) 8-3.
No. 2 — Nour Abbes-Carmen Nelson (XU) d. Gabrielle Alford - Brooke Ferslov-Jensen (VU) 8-6.
No. 3 — Brion Flowers-Brandi Nelson (XU) d. Ashley Wao-Udin-Michaele Sullivan (VU) 8-2.

Singles
No. 1 — Caroline Vernet (XU) d. Sarah Edwards (VU) 6-1, 6-0.
No. 2 — Carmen Nelson (XU) d. Ashley Wao-Udin (VU) 6-0, 7-6 (7-3).
No. 3 — Simone-Alyse Ewell (XU) d. Gabrielle Alford (VU) 6-1, 6-3.
No. 4 — Sha'Nel Bruins (XU) d. Brooke Ferslov-Jensen (VU) 7-5, 6-1.
No. 5 — Jana van der Walt (XU) d. Michaele Sullivan (VU) 3-6, 6-0, 1-0 (10-8).
No. 6 — Nataliya Yamkova (VU) d. Dasia Harris (XU) 6-4, 6-4.

Order of Finish: Doubles — 3, 1, 2. Singles — 1, 2, 6, 4, 3, 5.
Records: Xavier 14-8, Vanguard 5-12.

Men's Tennis Results
Vanguard 6, Xavier 3

Monday, March 30, 2015
Costa Mesa Tennis Center, Costa Mesa, Calif.

Singles
No. 1 — Stefan Kilchhofer (VU) d. Kyle Montrel (XU) 6-3, 6-3.
No. 2 — Fabio Silva (VU) d. Nikita Soifer (XU) 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.
No. 3 — Roger Muri (VU) d. Jordan Harrell (XU) 6-1, 6-1.
No. 4 — Filip Burnac (VU) d. Tushar Mandlekar (XU) 3-6, 7-6 (8-6), 7-5.
No. 5 — Daymon Johnson (VU) d. Adam Albrecht (XU) 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).
No. 6 — Manav Chakma (XU) d. Michael Rjazanov (VU) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Doubles
No. 1 — Stefan Kilchhofer-Roger Muri (VU) d. Kyle Montrel-Nikita Soifer (XU) 8-6.
No. 2 — Tushar Mandlekar-Manav Chakma (XU) d. Fabio Silva-Filip Burnac (VU) 8-3.
No. 3 — Kevin Chaouat-Adam Albrecht (XU) d. Daymon Johnson-Michael Rjazanov (VU) 8-3.

Order of Finish: Singles — 3, 1, 2, 6, 5, 4. Doubles — 2, 3, 1.
Records: Xavier 11-6, Vanguard 19-0.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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