Nuggets' Borodii makes unprecedented ratings splash

NEW ORLEANS — Mariia Borodii's first appearance in the Oracle/Intercollegiate Tennis Association NAIA Women's National Rankings is a doozy.
    
The Xavier University of Louisiana freshman on Thursday became the first Gold Nugget to earn simultaneous top-3 rankings in singles and doubles. The resident of Zapozizhzhia, Ukraine, is No. 2 in singles, and Borodii and Yi Chen Pao are No. 3 in doubles.
     
Borodii fueled her ascent with five victories against ranked opponents — three in doubles — during the Nuggets' Arizona trip March 8-11. A highlight was a 9-7 victory for Borodii and Pao against San Diego Christian's then-sixth-ranked Sarah Urbanek and Nadine Geschke.
    
Another important victory for Borodii was 6-2, 6-2 Feb. 16 on the road against Georgia Gwinnett's then-third-ranked Emerald Able.
    
Also ranked nationally for the Nuggets are Charlene Goreau at No. 11 — she climbed from No. 23 in November — and freshman Angela Charles-Alfred, making her ratings debut at 35th.
     
XULA has four ranked singles players in the South Region. Borodii is second, Goreau is seventh, Charles-Alfred is 14th, and Manon Bonada is tied for 20th. Borodii and Pao are No. 3 in the South in doubles.
     
The Gold Nuggets will play SCAD Atlanta — which features a No. 13 national doubles team, Katrina de Guzman and Simran Kejriwal — at noon Sunday at XULA Tennis Center.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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