XU Nuggets beat No. 11 Westmont 7-2 in California opener

Coach Alan Green chatted with Wayne Bryan,
father of Bob and Mike Bryan, the world's
No. 1 men's doubles team,
before women’s tennis dual at Westmont.

SANTA BARBARA, California -- Xavier University of Louisiana ended its long women's tennis losing streak in the Golden State with a 7-2 victory Friday against Westmont.

The Gold Nuggets (12-8), ranked seventh in the NAIA, had dropped 12 in a row in California since a 5-2 victory against Concordia (Calif.) on Feb. 15, 2008. But they won 2-of-3 doubles matches and 5-of-6 in singles in the opener of their four-dual trip.

Nour Abbes, Carmen Nelson, Brion Flowers and Brandi Nelson won in doubles and singles for Xavier, which earned its second victory of the season against a ranked opponent.

Westmont, No. 11 in the NAIA, is 9-7.

Abbes and Carmen Nelson defeated Alyson Meyer and Haley Strandness, the NAIA's eighth-ranked doubles team in the West, 8-1. Flowers and Brandi Nelson (Carmen's younger sister) beat Grace Davis and Emily Keach 8-2.

Abbes, the NAIA's top-ranked singles player, defeated seventh-ranked Lauren Stratman 6-4, 6-3. Carmen Nelson, a senior in her first three-set match since her sophomore season, defeated Strandness, ranked 40th, 6-1, 4-6, 7-5.

Brandi Nelson defeated Keach 6-3, 6-2. Flowers clinched the dual with her 6-3, 7-5 victory against Meyer.

The Nuggets' other point came from Simone-Alyse Ewell, who beat Davis 6-2, 6-3 in her second singles victory of the season.

The XU women will be idle Saturday while the sixth-ranked Gold Rush visit eighth-ranked Westmont at 2:30 p.m. PDT. Both XU teams will play Northwestern Ohio -- whose men are No. 10 and whose women are No. 24 -- at noon PDT Sunday in Whittier, Calif. UNOH's women upset No. 15 Vanguard 5-4 Friday.

Women's Tennis Results 
Xavier 7, Westmont 2 

Friday, March 27, 2015 
Abbott Tennis Courts, Santa Barbara, Calif. 

Doubles 
No. 1 — Lauren Stratman-Ines Costamagna (WC) d. Caroline Vernet - Simone-Alyse Ewell (XU) 8-1. 
No. 2 — Nour Abbes-Carmen Nelson (XU) d. Alyson Meyer-Haley Strandness (WC) 8-1. 
No. 3 — Brandi Nelson-Brion Flowers (XU) d. Grace Davis-Emily Keach (WC) 8-2. 

Singles 
No. 1 — Nour Abbes (XU) d. Lauren Stratman (WC) 6-4, 6-3. 
No. 2 — Ines Costamagna (WC) d. Caroline Vernet (XU) 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 1-0 (10-6). 
No. 3 — Carmen Nelson (XU) d. Haley Strandness (WC) 6-1, 4-6, 7-5. 
No. 4 — Simone-Alyse Ewell (XU) d. Grace Davis (WC) 6-2, 6-3. 
No. 5 — Brion Flowers (XU) d. Alyson Meyer (WC) 6-3, 7-5. 
No. 6 — Brandi Nelson (XU) d. Emily Keach (WC) 6-3, 6-2. 

Order of Finish: Doubles — 1, 2, 3. Singles — 6, 1, 5, 4, 3, 2. 
Records: Xavier 12-8, Westmont 9-7. 

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