Thursday, May 16, 2019

Nuggets win quickly against Cumberlands at nationals

MOBILE, Ala. — Xavier University of Louisiana women's tennis needed just two hours and 20 minutes Wednesday afternoon to eliminate Cumberlands 5-0 in the round of 16 at the NAIA National Championship tournament.
     

The Gold Nuggets (18-5), ranked and seeded third, reached the quarterfinals for the second straight year and the fifth time in seven years. XULA will play William Woods (16-6), ranked and seeded sixth, at 1 p.m. Thursday. Admission is free for all rounds at Copeland-Cox Mobile Tennis Center (851 Gaillard Drive, zip code 36608, phone 251-208-5181).
     

Xavier University of Louisiana women's tennisFarah Baklouti won in doubles and singles. She and Mariia Borodii improved to 20-0 for the season with an 8-4 victory against Grace Steely and Tessa Gray. Charlene Goreau and Angela Charles-Alfred, ranked third nationally, got XULA on the board first with an 8-1 victory against No. 15 Jaclyn Jewell and Tomomi Nagao. Lacee Ancar and Angelica De Vincenzis completed the doubles sweep by beating Mikaela Fros and Sydney White 8-3.
     
Baklouti made it 4-0 when she defeated Steely 6-3, 6-0 at No. 4 singles, and Yi Chen Pao clinched with her 6-2, 6-1 victory against Gray. XULA led in three of the four unfinished matches.
     

Cumberlands (11-7) was ranked 22nd and seeded 19th. XULA is 12-1 this season against ranked teams.
     

Coupled with XULA's 5-0 men's victory in the morning against Union (Ky.), it's the first time that the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets won 5-0 on the same day at nationals, This was the 12th time the XULA men and women played on the same day at nationals. There have been no same-day 9-0s.
     

XULA and William Woods will meet for the first time at nationals, but it's a rematch from March 22, when the Gold Nuggets defeated the Owls 5-0 at XULA.

BOX SCORE

Quarterfinals — 1 p.m. Thursday
No. 1 Georgia Gwinnett (17-1) vs. No. 9 Brenau (14-6)
No. 5 SCAD Savannah (12-3) vs. No. 4 William Carey (14-2)
No. 3 XULA (18-5) vs. No. 6 William Woods (16-6)
No. 7 Middle Georgia (12-5) vs. No. 2 Keiser (19-4)

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