Gold Rush reach NAIA quarterfinals for 4th straight year

Tushar Mandlekar and Manav Chakma are 11-0 in doubles vs. NAIA opponents this season.

MOBILE, Alabama -- Nikita Soifer and Tushar Mandlekar won in doubles and singles Wednesday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 5-0 men's tennis victory against Coastal Georgia in round of 16 at the NAIA National Championship.

The Gold Rush (13-7), seeded and ranked sixth, reached the quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive year. Xavier will play third-seeded and third-ranked Vanguard at 9 a.m. Thursday.

Soifer and Kyle Montrel concluded the doubles with a 9-8 (7-3) victory at the top flight against Robin Lucas and Daniel Rush. Soifer then clinched the dual with a 6-0, 7-5 victory against Lucas at No. 2 singles.

Mandlekar and Manav Chakma beat Erick Bermudez and Alejandro Aquilino 8-4 at No. 2 doubles, and Mandlekar beat Rush 6-2, 6-1 at No. 4 singles.

The singles victory was Mandlekar's team-leading 20th of the season. The sophomore also leads the Gold Rush with 18 doubles victories.

Xavier scored its other point at No. 3 doubles, where Kevin Chaouat and Adam Albrecht were first off the court with an 8-1 victory against Joel Hunter and Dent Law.

Of the four unfinished singles matches, Xavier led in three of them.

Coastal Georgia finished 11-7.

The shutout victory was Xavier's second in 13 dual matches at nationals. The other was 5-0 against Point Loma Nazarene in the 2012 round of 16.

Thursday's dual will be a rematch of March 30, when Vanguard won 6-3 at Costa Mesa, Calif. The Lions are 2-0 all-time at nationals against Xavier, winning 5-3 in the 2011 round of 16 and 5-2 in the 2013 quarterfinals.

All eight top-seeded men's teams advanced, including top-ranked and defending national champion Georgia Gwinnett. Vanguard defeated Bethany (Kan.) 5-0.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
https://twitter.com/xulagold
https://www.facebook.com/