Gold Rush move from third place to eighth nationally

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana men's tennis made a rare and significant drop Tuesday in the NAIA coaches poll, but the Gold Rush are in the top 10 for the 69th consecutive time.
     
The Gold Rush (6-2) dropped from third to eighth after a 5-4 loss March 1 at William Carey, which was then 11th but climbed to ninth.
     
The drop of five places is XULA's largest since the Gold Rush fell from 13th to 18th on April 21, 2009. The drop ended XULA's streak of 30 consecutive appearance top-5 appearances. That streak began Jan. 26, 2016.
     
XULA's active streak of 99 consecutive top-25 appearances is the longest in NAIA men's tennis. That streak began April 4, 2007.
     
The Gold Rush will play six times before the next rankings March 26. This week the XULA will play twice at NCAA Division I Louisiana-Lafayette — 5 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday — then travel with the women to the Midwest for matches Friday against No. 21 Northwestern Ohio and Saturday against No. 24 Indiana Wesleyan.
     
Georgia Gwinnett, winner of its last 93 dual matches, is a unanimous No. 1 for the 41st consecutive poll.
     
The Gold Rush active poll streaks:
     •  99 consecutive appearances in the top 25 . . . streak began April 4, 2007.
     •  90 consecutive appearances in the top 20 . . . streak began April 30, 2008.
     •  75 consecutive appearances in the top 15 . . . streak began Feb. 1, 2011.
     •  69 consecutive appearances in the top 10 . . . streak began May 3, 2011.
 

NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through March 10)

RANK	PREVIOUS	SCHOOL	RECORD	POINTS
1	1	Georgia Gwinnett (14)	10-0	374
2	4	Reinhardt (Ga.)	5-0	354
3	10	Cardinal Stritch (Wis.)	5-3	336
4	5	William Woods (Mo.)	2-0	330
5	2	Keiser (Fla.)	10-4	315
6	8	Middle Georgia State	5-2	313
7	5	Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)	0-2	307
8	3	Xavier (La.)	6-2	302
9	11	William Carey (Miss.)	5-2	291
10	13	Tennessee Wesleyan	5-1	257
10	9	Campbellsville (Ky.)	6-1	257
12	12	Arizona Christian	7-0	242
13	16	Point (Ga.)	6-5	236
14	7	Cumberland (Tenn.)	2-3	217
15	14	Mobile (Ala.)	5-2	216
16	15	Union (Ky.)	3-5	190
17	17	Hope International (Calif.)	9-2	186
18	19	McPherson (Kan.)	0-1	159
19	20	Cumberlands (Ky.)	3-2	153
20	18	Marian (Ind.)	16-4	134
21	22	Coastal Georgia	6-4	133
21	21	Northwestern Ohio	5-3	133
23	RV	Missouri Valley	5-3	109
24	25	Indiana Wesleyan	19-6	92
25	23	Westmont (Calif.)	3-5	89

Dropped from the Top 25: Asbury (Ky.)
Others Receiving Votes: Asbury (Ky.) 88, Texas A&M-Texarkana 39, Loyola (La.) 37, Judson (Ill.) 28, SCAD Atlanta (Ga.) 17, Southwestern (Kan.) 13, Webber International (Fla.) 12, Hastings (Neb.) 6, Marymount California 5, St. Thomas (Fla.) 4, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 3, Georgetown (Ky.) 3, Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.) 3.

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