Rush earn 3rd win of season against a top-10 opponent

Xavier records its fifth victory this season against a ranked NAIA
opponent -- its third against a top-10 team.

SANTA BARBARA, California -- Xavier University of Louisiana earned its third men's tennis victory of the season against a top-10 opponent by defeating Westmont 7-2 Saturday.

The Gold Rush (10-5) -- ranked sixth in the NAIA and in the first of three dual matches in as many days against top-10 teams -- defeated three nationally ranked singles players and one ranked doubles team.

Westmont (8-7) is ranked eighth.

Tushar Mandlekar and Adam Albrecht won in doubles and singles for Xavier. Mandlekar and Manav Chakma defeated 22nd-ranked Jan Sibbel and Christian Mathis 8-4, and Mandlekar beat Sibbel, ranked 46th in singles, 6-3, 6-2.

Albrecht and Kevin Chaouat beat Tommy Nightingale and Travis Smelley 8-2 in the first completed doubles match. Albrecht clinched the dual with his 6-0, 7-6 (7-1) victory against Nightingale.

After losing their doubles match, Xavier's Kyle Montrel and Nikita Soifer dominated in singles. Montrel beat 25th-ranked Carl-Philip Lindqvist 6-1, 6-3, and Soifer ended his three-match singles losing streak by throttling 20th-ranked Luke Whalen 6-0, 6-0.

Xavier's other victory came from Jordan Harrell, who beat Joshua Barnard 1-6, 6-4, 6-3. Harrell had dropped four consecutive three-set decisions.

Both Xavier teams will play Northwestern Ohio at noon PDT Sunday at Whittier College in Whittier, Calif. UNOH's men are ranked 10th in the NAIA, and its women are 24th. Xavier's women, who are ranked seventh, did not play Saturday after winning 7-2 Friday at No. 11 Westmont.


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