Gold Nuggets Remain 7th; In Top 10 for 22nd Consecutive Time

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana is No. 7 for the fourth consecutive time in the NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll and gained ground on the teams ahead of them.
The Gold Nuggets (15-8), after going 4-0 against ranked teams in California, are one point behind No. 6 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) and 19 points behind No. 5 SCAD Savannah. In the previous poll two weeks ago, Xavier trailed the sixth-ranked team by six points and the fifth-ranked team by 23.

Xavier has not played since a 7-2 victory March 31 against top-25 member Lewis-Clark State at La Mirada, Calif., on March 31. The next Gold Nuggets dual will start at noon April 25 at West Florida, which is ranked eighth in NCAA Division II. It's a makeup of a Saturday dual which was postponed due to a threat of rain.

Georgia Gwinnett, last year's NAIA champion, is No. 1 for the sixth time in as many polls and received 12-of-14 first place votes. Auburn Montgomery received the other first-place votes and remained second. Three of the top six shuffled, with Brenau — a 5-4 winner against Xavier on Feb. 23 — climbing from fifth to third.

The NAIA will announce its next top 25 April 28.

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll
First-place votes in parentheses -- records through April 12

RANK PREVIOUS SCHOOL W-L POINTS
1 1 Georgia Gwinnett (12) 7-6 373
2 2 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) (2) 15-4 363
3 5 Brenau (Ga.) 11-3 339
4 4 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 13-7 337
5 6 SCAD Savannah (Ga.) 10-4 330
6 3 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 12-2 312
7 7 Xavier (La.) 15-8 311
8 8 Northwood (Fla.) 7-5 287
9 9 Arizona Christian 22-1 281
10 10 Oklahoma Baptist 8-6 264
11 11 Westmont (Calif.) 12-8 256
12 12 Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) 16-2 244
13 24 Evangel (Mo.) 6-3 204
14 14 Concordia (Calif.) 9-11 200
15 18 Northwestern Ohio 11-6 196
16 21 Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 6-12 195
17 13 Graceland (Iowa) 6-2 177
18 16 William Carey (Miss.) 10-6 169
19 17 Vanguard (Calif.) 6-15 162
20 19 Cumberland (Tenn.) 9-6 152
21 15 Davenport (Mich.) 11-9 151
22 20 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 12-6 142
23 22 Coastal Georgia 8-6 108
24 23 Southeastern (Fla.) 11-4 102
25 25 Indiana Wesleyan 18-6 77

Others Receiving Votes: Aquinas (Mich.) 44; Campbellsville (Ky.) 34; Reinhardt (Ga.) 31; McPherson (Kan.) 24; Missouri Valley 22; Marian (Ind.) 19; Dalton State (Ga.) 17; St. Thomas (Fla.) 16; LSU-Alexandria 12; Cumberlands (Ky.) 5; Southwestern (Kan.) 3.


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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