Gold Nuggets defeat LSUA 8-1 to close home schedule

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana, led by senior-day honoree Charlene Goreau, rolled to an 8-1 women's tennis victory Sunday against LSU-Alexandria.
     
The Gold Nuggets (15-4), ranked third in the NAIA, won for the 13th time in their last 14 matches. They are 9-0 this season against ranked opponents, 5-0 against top-10s.
     
The ninth-ranked Generals (5-4) lost their third straight. They're 0-2 this season against XULA, 0-5 over the last two years.
     
Goreau, Angela Charles-Alfred, Farah Baklouti and Yi Chen Pao won in doubles and singles. Goreau and Charles-Alfred led off a sweep of doubles with an 8-2 victory against Marie Cool and Carolina Guerrero on the first court. Goreau defeated Miljana Milojevic 6-1, 6-4 at No. 1 singles.
     
Charles-Alfred clinched with a 6-1, 6-3 victory at No. 3 singles against Niamh Packer.
     
Baklouti and Lacee Ancar defeated Packer and Milojevic 8-3 on the third doubles court. Baklouti beat Cool 6-0, 6-1 at No. 4 singles. Pao and Mariia Borodii defeated Patricia Perez and Patricia Martinez Molina 8-6 at No. 2 doubles, and Pao defeated Martinez Molina 6-3, 6-3 on the fifth singles court.
     
Also winning for XULA was Angelica De Vincenzis in a 6-2, 6-1 decision against Guerrero at No. 6 singles.
     
LSUA's only point came at No. 2 singles. Perez gave All-American Mariia Borodii a rare defeat: 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (14-12). Both players saved match points during the super-tiebreaker.
     
Goreau, the Gold Nuggets' only senior and a three-time first-team NAIA All-American, was honored in a prematch ceremony.
     
"Charlene is the most decorated tennis player in the history of the Nuggets," 16th-year XULA head coach Alan Green said. "I expect her to make All-America again next month."
     
It was XULA's final home match of the season. The Gold Nuggets finished 7-1 at home and won 13 of their last 14 at XULA Tennis Center. XULA's men concluded their home schedule Saturday with a 5-4 victory against No. 6 William Carey. The Gold Rush were 7-0 at home this season.
     
The Gold Nuggets will play second-ranked Keiser on April 19 — one week from Friday — in Pensacola, Fla. The next NAIA coaches polls for women and men will be announced Tuesday.

BOX SCORE

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