Another ranked team falls; Gold Nuggets win at Carey

HATTIESBURG, Mississippi — During the past 54 weeks, Xavier University of Louisiana has built one of the most dazzling resumes in women's tennis.
     
XULA continued its success Friday, getting doubles and singles victories from Mariia Borodii and Farah Baklouti and the clincher from Angela Charles-Alfred in a 5-2 victory at William Carey. Although the Gold Nuggets (6-3), ranked third in the NAIA, dropped 2-of-3 doubles matches, they rallied with four consecutive singles victories to give the ninth-ranked Lady Crusaders (3-1) their first loss of the season.
     
Beginning with a victory at Brenau on Feb. 17, 2018, the Gold Nuggets have won 14 of their last 15 dual matches against top-25 opponents — 7-of-8 against top 10s. This year XULA is 3-0 against the top 25, 2-0 against the top 10.
     
Borodii and Baklouti defeated Xiana Garcia and Manon Benetrix 8-2 on the first doubles court. In singles, Borodii beat Valeriya Shurbina 6-4, 6-1 at No. 1, and Baklouti defeated Sabrina Goetzen 6-1, 6-2 at No. 4. Charles-Alfred ended the dual at No. 3 with her 6-3, 6-3 victory against Wijitbanjong Pakkaro.
     
Charlene Goreau was first off the court in singles, rolling to a 6-0, 6-0 decision against Garcia at No. 2.
     
"After a rough day of doubles, we regrouped and really came alive in singles," XULA coach Alan Greensaid. "Our singles lineup really came to play today."
     
These Nuggets are road warriors, too. Of those seven wins against top 10s, only one occurred at home. The shiniest gem of that bunch was at West Florida — a 5-3 XULA victory against a team that eventually finished 2018 as the NCAA Division II national runner-up.
     
XULA will return to the road March 9 — one week from Saturday — for an ambitious women's/men's tripleheader in Jackson, Miss.: 9 a.m. against Tougaloo, 1 p.m. against Rust, then 4 p.m. against NCAA Division I Jackson State. Tougaloo and Rust are Gulf Coast Athletic Conference members like XULA, and it will be the Nuggets' and Rush's first competition against the GCAC since 2015.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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