Nuggets, winner of 31 of last 36, hold steady at No. 3

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana women's tennis remained third Tuesday in the sixth NAIA coaches poll of the season.
     
The Gold Nuggets, 15-4 this season and winner of 31 of their last 36 dual matches, are No. 3 for the ninth consecutive poll. That streak began April 24, 2018. It's the Gold Nuggets' 63rd consecutive appearance in the top 25 and their 108th all-time.
     
XULA was 3-0, all against ranked opponents, since the previous poll March 26. The Gold Nuggets are 9-0 this season against top-25 teams.
     
The Gold Nuggets will not compete this week but will play three straight days on the road April 18-20 to close the regular season. Coach Alan Green said Tuesday that an April 18 match at No. 11 Mobile has been added to the schedule. Already set were matches in Pensacola, Fla., against No. 2 Keiser and West Florida, 22nd-ranked in NCAA Division II.
     
XULA will not play in a conference or unaffiliated group end-of-season tournament for the fifth consecutive year, but the Gold Nuggets are expected to earn an at-large bid to the NAIA National Championship tournament, which will begin May 14 in Mobile, Ala. Qualifiers will be announced April 29, and the 24-team bracket will be revealed April 30.

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through April 7)

RANK	PREVIOUS	SCHOOL	RECORD	POINTS
1	1	Georgia Gwinnett (13)	13-1	343
2	2	Keiser (Fla.)	14-3	332
3	3	Xavier (La.)	15-4	321
4	5	William Carey (Miss.)	9-2	310
5	6	SCAD Savannah (Ga.)	9-1	296
6	7	William Woods (Mo.)	9-5	287
7	8	Cardinal Stritch (Wis.)	10-6	279
8	10	Middle Georgia	8-4	264
9	11	Indiana Wesleyan	26-6	254
10	12	Brenau (Ga.)	9-6	245
11	13	Mobile (Ala.)	8-3	225
12	14	Westmont (Calif.)	16-4	213
13	18	Union (Ky.)	11-3	211
14	4	Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)	5-5	190
15	9	LSU-Alexandria (La.)	5-4	181
16	16	San Diego Christian (Calif.)	14-2	175
17	17	Georgetown (Ky.)	11-4	171
18	22	Loyola (La.)	9-6	163
19	20	Cumberlands (Ky.)	8-5	147
20	19	Southeastern (Fla.)	15-3	145
21	14	Cumberland (Tenn.)	10-5	128
22	20	SCAD Atlanta (Ga.)	8-8	116
23	RV	Martin Methodist (Tenn.)	7-9	88
24	24	Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)	10-5	87
25	25	Campbellsville (Ky.)	8-7	74

Dropped from the Top 25: Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)
Others Receiving Votes: Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 73, Missouri Valley 63, Webber International (Fla.) 41, Asbury (Ky.) 30, Coastal Georgia 15, Tennessee Wesleyan 14, Marian (Ind.) 10, Southwestern (Kan.) 9.

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