Nuggets, with 11 wins vs. ranked foes, await nationals

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's women's tennis season appears far from over after receiving a No. 3 ranking Tuesday in the final NAIA coaches poll before the national tournament.
     
The Gold Nuggets (17-5, 11-1 vs. ranked opponents) have been third in all seven polls this season.
     
XULA concluded its regular season Saturday with a come-from-behind 4-3 victory at West Florida, the No. 15 team in NCAA Division II. There is no conference or unaffiliated group tournament for the Gold Nuggets, so they'll await an at-large bid to nationals. Twenty-four women's teams will qualify.
     
The XULA women seek their eighth straight bid to nationals and their 13th bid overall. The NAIA National Championship tournaments for women and men will be May 14-18 in Mobile, Ala.
     
The Gold Nuggets won 15 of their last 17 matches. Four of their five losses this season were to NCAA Division I opponents.
     
Upcoming dates:
     •  April 29:  Announcement of qualifiers — NAIA National Championships tournament (24 women's teams, 24 men's teams)
     •  April 30:  Announcement of brackets for nationals
     •  May 1-8:  Final exams
     •  May 11:  XULA commencement (10 a.m. at Convocation Center)
     •  May 12:  XULA teams depart for nationals (late afternoon)
     •  May 14-18:  NAIA National Championships tournament at Mobile, Ala. (Copeland-Cox Mobile Tennis Center . . . both XULA teams reached the national semifinals in 2018)
     •  May 17:  Announcement of Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes
     •  May 21:  Announcement of NAIA All-Americans
     •  May 22:  Announcement of NAIA top-25 postseason polls
 

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through April 21)

RANK	PREVIOUS	SCHOOL	RECORD	POINTS
1	1	Georgia Gwinnett (14)	15-1	374
2	2	Keiser (Fla.)	16-4	362
3	3	Xavier (La.)	17-5	350
4	4	William Carey (Miss.)	11-2	338
5	5	SCAD Savannah (Ga.)	10-2	323
6	6	William Woods (Mo.)	13-5	315
7	8	Middle Georgia	10-4	294
8	7	Cardinal Stritch (Wis.)	16-6	290
9	9	Indiana Wesleyan	30-6	283
10	10	Brenau (Ga.)	12-6	271
11	12	Westmont (Calif.)	19-5	239
12	14	Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)	9-5	227
13	22	SCAD Atlanta (Ga.)	11-9	222
14	18	Loyola (La.)	10-8	208
15	13	Union (Ky.)	12-4	207
16	17	Georgetown (Ky.)	16-4	194
17	15	LSU-Alexandria (La.)	5-4	185
17	11	Mobile (Ala.)	8-6	185
19	16	San Diego Christian (Calif.)	16-3	162
20	21	Cumberland (Tenn.)	11-7	155
21	20	Southeastern (Fla.)	16-3	143
22	19	Cumberlands (Ky.)	10-6	138
23	23	Martin Methodist (Tenn.)	7-10	110
24	24	Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)	12-5	98
25	RV	Marian (Ind.)	16-9	76

Dropped from the Top 25: Campbellsville (Ky.)
Others Receiving Votes: Campbellsville (Ky.) 72, Missouri Valley 56, Webber International (Fla.) 34, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 28, Southwestern (Kan.) 24, Asbury (Ky.) 20, Tennessee Wesleyan 19

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