Xavier Gold Rush qualify for nationals for third straight season

Xavier Tennis Coach Alan Green

"Our guys came out like men who had families to feed. We trusted each other out there and kept our composure throughout the match. When we play like that, we are very tough to beat." — XU Coach Alan Green.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Xavier University of Louisiana men's tennis team followed the clearly defined path Saturday.

The Gold Rush, ranked 11th in the NAIA, defeated 23rd-ranked Martin Methodist 5-2 to earn an automatic bid to the national tournament for the third consecutive year. The qualifying event was for teams whose conferences did not meet requirements for automatic bids.

A loss would've left Xavier (13-9) waiting for an at-large bid to the 24-team event — a strong possibility, considering the Gold Rush's ranking — but after beating Martin Methodist (14-6) for the second time in as many tries this season, Xavier won't be involved with that suspense.

"Our guys came out like men who had families to feed," Coach Alan Green said. "We trusted each other out there and kept our composure throughout the match. When we play like that, we are very tough to beat."

Juniors Zach Taylor, Steffen Giles-Osborn and Sean Richardson won in doubles and singles for the Gold Rush. Taylor, winning for the first time in his last seven singles matches, put Xavier ahead to stay at 3-2 when he beat Renato Castro 6-1, 6-3 at No. 2. Giles-Osborn beat Alvaro Morcillo 6-3, 6-4 at No. 3 to give the Rush a 4-2 lead, and Richardson clinched with his fifth victory in six matches, a 6-3, 6-3 decision against Juan Suarez at No. 5.

Giles-Osborn and Richardson were the only Gold Rush players who were 2-0 in doubles and 2-0 in singles in the two-day, four-team qualifier.

Because of only five available players, Xavier defaulted at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles. But the Rush did not drop a set in any of the five completed matches. Taylor and Hassan Abbas, ranked 15th among NAIA doubles teams, improved to 15-7 with an 8-0 victory against Vinicius Santos and Suarez. Giles-Osborn and Richardson teamed for an 8-6 decision against Castro and Fabio Santos. Vinicius Santos was the TranSouth Conference Player of the Year this season, and Fabio Santos and Suarez were all-conference in singles and doubles.

It was the second loss in the last 13 duals for Martin Methodist, which opened its season with a 6-3 loss to Xavier on Feb. 18 in Nashville, Tenn.

"This match seemed a bit easier," Green said. "Martin Methodist played a different doubles lineup, and I think the matchups were favorable to us."

It was Xavier's third victory of the season against a ranked NAIA opponent. The XU men have two additional victories against NAIA teams which were unranked at the time of those matches but were ranked in the most recent poll. Xavier is 7-1 at neutral sites and 4-0 in Tennessee.

Xavier's men never qualified for nationals before 2009, and they won first-round matches in both previous appearances. The NAIA National Championship will start May 17 in Mobile, Ala. Pairings will be announced by 5 p.m. on May 10.

"We look forward to playing the nation's best teams in 95-degree Gulf Coast heat," Green said.

Results



By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

Xavier Gold Nuggets' season ends with semifinal loss to Milligan

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Just call it a pause in the recent success of the Xavier University of Louisiana women's tennis program.

Milligan defeated the Gold Nuggets 5-0 Saturday in the semifinals of an NAIA National Championship qualifying tournament. That ended Xavier's bid for a fourth consecutive appearance at next month's national tournament, and it ended the Nuggets' season at 4-18 — a sharp contrast to Coach Alan Green's first seven teams, which won nearly 70 percent of their dual matches.

"We'll be back," Green said. "Recruiting for next season is going well. We have some young talent coming back next season, and they're going to improve. I expect us to return to form."

Xavier dropped out of the top 25 on March 22 after 44 consecutive appearances dating to 2004, and the Nuggets won't appear the final top 25 for the first time since 2003. But Green said one important component never disappeared this season.

"Our women played hard this entire year," Green said. "I'm proud of each of them. The fight they showed will carry them in life, further than any amount of wins could ever do."

The 2010-11 Xavier University of Louisiana women's tennis team.
Amber Brown, Melissa DeLoach, Nicole DeLoach, Yazmin Hooper,
Courtney Martin, Ashley McGill, Carmen Nelson and Coach Alan Green

Milligan (12-6) swept the three doubles matches — the closest was Albany Kelly and Caitlin Conley's 8-6 victory over Carmen Nelson and Melissa DeLoach at the first flight — and the Buffaloes clinched when Halie Winfrey beat freshman walk-on Courtney Martin 6-2, 6-0 at No. 5 singles.

Two Xavier freshmen led their singles matches when the dual ended. Amber Brown led Kelly 6-4, 2-2 at No. 2, and Nicole DeLoach, Melissa's sister, led Celeste Carpenter 6-1, 4-3 at No. 4.

It was the final collegiate competition for Melissa DeLoach, a four-year letterwoman and this year's team MVP, and Ashley McGill. DeLoach trailed 6-4, 1-0 against Caitlin Conley at No. 3 singles when the dual ended. McGill and Martin lost 8-4 to Jessie Rose Remegi and JoLynne Heidt at No. 3 doubles, and Heidt beat McGill 6-1, 6-1 at No. 6 singles to give Milligan a 4-0 lead.

The Nuggets played the entire regular season with five players, resulting in automatic defaults at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles against opponents at full strength. The schedule was difficult too — half of the Nuggets' losses were to NCAA Division I opponents, and there were four more defeats against ranked NAIA opponents.

"We're not looking for any sympathy," Green said. "Like I said, our women battled all year. We hope to be much better on the court next season, and we'll try again to play as hard a schedule as we can. We'll look forward to those challenges."

Results

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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XU Nuggets beat Union to reach semifinals of NAIA qualifier

Xavier freshman Nicole DeLoach won doubles and singles matches.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Freshman Nicole DeLoach earned doubles and singles victories Friday to help Xavier University of Louisiana's women's tennis team earn a 5-0 decision against Union (Ky.) in the opening round of an NAIA National Championship qualifying tournment.

The Gold Nuggets (4-17), seeded second, snapped a six-dual losing streak and advanced to a 10 a.m. EDT Saturday semifinal against third-seeded Milligan, a 5-0 winner against Bethel (Tenn.). Cumberland defeated Tennessee Wesleyan 5-2, and top-seeded Martin Methodist beat Reinhardt 6-1 in th other quarterfinals.

DeLoach, paired for the first time this season with freshman Amber Brown, defeated Marah Rice and Meredith Dambrus 8-0 at No. 2 doubles. DeLoach clinched the dual with her 6-0, 6-1 victory over Dambrus at No. 4 singles.

Melissa DeLoach, a senior and Nicole's sister, teamed with Carmen Nelson for an 8-5 victory over Diane Proteau and Ximena Aguilar at No. 1. The Gold Nuggets also earned default victories at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles.

XU's women won for just the second time in their last 17 duals and won on the road for the first time since Feb. 11. It was the first time this season the Gold Nuggets won without dropping a match.

Xavier defeated Union (2-9) in the postseason for the second time in three years. The first time was in the opening round of the 2009 NAIA National Championship.

Results

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

XU Gold Rush advance to title match by beating Bethel (Tenn.)

Sean Richardson, left, and Steffen Giles-Osborn
 won doubles and singles matches.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Xavier University of Louisiana men's tennis team defeated Bethel (Tenn.) 6-0 Friday to reach the championship round of an NAIA National Championship qualifying tournament.

The Gold Rush (12-9), ranked 11th in the NAIA and seeded first in the tournament, will play 23rd-ranked and second-seeded Martin Methodist for the championship at 12:30 p.m. EDT Saturday. The winner will receive an automatic berth in next month's national tourney.

Steffen Giles-Osborn, Sean Richardson and Hassan Abbas won in doubles and singles to help the Gold Rush snap a four-dual losing streak.

Giles-Osborn and Sean Richardson scored the first point of the dual with their 8-2 victory over Paolo Vecchi and Eduardo Espinar at No. 2 doubles. It was the first victory in five matches for the XU juniors.

Abbas and Zach Taylor beat Ryan Weatherly and Kristian Takac 8-3, and freshmen Amir Rahbar and Jonathan Aubrey completed the doubles sweep with an 8-6 decision against Joao Souza and Raphael Sousa.

Abbas clinched the dual with his 6-0, 6-2 victory over Souza at No. 1 singles. Giles-Osborn beat Espinar, an All-TranSouth Conference singles selection, 6-2, 6-1 at No. 3, and Richardson topped Weatherly 6-0, 6-2 at No. 5.

Bethel finished 5-14 and lost 11 of its last 12 duals.

Martin Methodist was a 6-1 winner against Cumberland in the other semifinal. Xavier beat Martin Methodist 6-3 on Feb. 18 at Nashville, Tenn.

Results

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

XU Rush, Nuggets seek automatic bids at NAIA qualifier

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The postseason begins Friday for the Xavier University of Louisiana tennis teams in a qualifying tournament for the NAIA National Championship at Champions Club.

The event is for conferences which did not qualify for automatic bids to the national tournament. But automatic bids will be awarded to the men's and women's champions of this two-day tourney.

Coach Alan Green, middle, hopes to take his women
 to the NAIA National Championship for the fourth
 consecutive year and his men for the third straight year.

The Gold Rush (11-9), ranked 11th in the NAIA coaches poll, are seeded first in the four-team men's bracket and will play fourth-seeded Bethel (Tenn.) (5-13) at 1:30 p.m. EDT. XU's women (3-17), still receiving votes in the national poll, are seeded second out of eight teams and will play seventh-seeded Union (Ky.) (2-8) at 10 a.m. EDT.

XU seeks its fourth consecutive berth in the women's draw of the NAIA National Championship and its third consecutive berth in the men's field. The national tournament will start May 17 in Mobile, Ala.

"That's a primary goal every year — to get our teams to nationals and then see how far they can go," eighth-year XU Coach Alan Green said. "There are automatic bids on the line. We want to get those bids this weekend and, in the case of our men, not have to depend on an at-large selection."

XU's men reached the top 10 for the first time in the program's history on March 8 and stayed there for two additional polls. A 6-3 victory at Vanguard on March 4 was the Gold Rush's first against an NAIA top-10 opponent.

NAIA National Championship Qualifying Tournament (seedings in parentheses) MEN Semifinals — Friday Xavier (1) vs. Bethel (Tenn.) (4) Martin Methodist (2) vs. Cumberland (3) WOMEN Quarterfinals — Friday Xavier (2) vs. Union (Ky.) (7) Milligan (3) vs. Bethel (Tenn.) (6) Martin Methodist (1) vs. Reinhardt (8) Cumberland (4) vs. Tennessee Wesleyan (5)

The Gold Nuggets have dropped six straight and 15 of their last 16 duals. But after playing the entire regular season with just five players, walk-on freshman Courtney Martin was added to the postseason roster to help the Nuggets avoid forfeits at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles.

Seniors Hassan Abbas (13-6 singles, 13-7 doubles) of the Rush and Melissa DeLoach (7-15 singles, 11-11 doubles) of the Nuggets lead their respective teams in combined victories.

Martin Methodist, ranked 23rd in the men's poll, is seeded second in the qualifier. XU beat Martin Methodist 6-3 in Nashville, Tenn., on Feb. 18.

Martin Methodist's 18th-ranked women are seeded first. The Gold Nuggets are seeded one spot higher than Milligan, even though Milligan received 39 more points than XU in the most recent national poll.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

Xavier Nuggets close regular season with loss to Southeastern

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's women closed their regular season Tuesday with a 9-0 loss to Southeastern Louisiana at City Park Tennis Center.

The loss was the sixth in a row for the Gold Nuggets (3-17) and the 15th in their last 16 duals. It was Xavier's ninth loss of the season against an NCAA Division I opponent.

Audrey Chelini, Morgane Dadot and Isabel Brito won in singles and doubles for Southeastern (9-13) in its season finale. Chelini and Raissa Dias defeated Amber Brown and Carmen Nelson 8-3 at No. 1 doubles, then Chelini beat Brown 6-1, 6-0 at No. 1 singles.

Morgane Dadot and Isabel Brito teamed for an 8-5 victory against sisters Melissa and Nicole DeLoach at No. 2. In singles Dadot beat Nicole DeLoach (XU) 7-5, 6-2, and Brito clinched the dual with a 6-0, 6-0 decision against Ashley McGill.

It was the final home match for Melissa DeLoach and McGill, both seniors. Also Tuesday the Nuggets were among others receiving votes for the third consecutive time in the NAIA coaches poll.

Next for Xavier's women and men will be an NAIA National Championship qualifying tournament April 29-30 at Chattanooga, Tenn.



By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

XU Gold Rush drop from eighth to 11th in NAIA coaches poll

NEW ORLEANS — After three consecutive appearances at a program-record No. 8, Xavier University of Louisiana fell to 11th Tuesday in the NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll.

Losses to William Carey and Tulane since the last poll extended the losing streak of the Gold Rush (11-9) to four duals. Still, 11th is higher than any XU men's team prior to this season. The Gold Rush are in the the top 25 for the 30th consecutive time dating to April 4, 2007, and it's the 21st straight time dating to April 30, 2008, that the Gold Rush are among the top 18.

The top five teams are the same as the previous poll, with Fresno Pacific ranked first for the 13th consecutive time. This was the sixth of eight polls this season. The final two rankings will be announced May 3 and 8.

Tulane was Xavier's final regular-season opponent. The Gold Rush will travel to Chattanooga, Tenn., for an NAIA National Championship qualifying tournament April 29-30 at Champions Club Tennis Complex. The XU men are trying to reach the national tournament for the third consecutive year.



NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, April 17)
Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Fresno Pacific (11) 20-2 281 1
2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 14-6 270 2
3 Auburn Montgomery 19-3 262 3
4 Azusa Pacific 15-5 253 4
5 Oklahoma Christian 17-1 249 5
6 Westmont 11-5 236 7
7 Point Loma Nazarene 13-4 225 6
8 Concordia (Calif.) 8-13 210 9
9 William Carey 10-8 203 19
10 Union (Ky.) 14-4 197 NR
11 Xavier 11-9 194 8
12 Vanguard 6-13 189 10
13 Graceland 8-4 182 11
14 Aquinas 22-3 153 14
15 Shorter 9-2 152 12
16 St. Thomas (Fla.) 13-3 151 13
17 Lindsey Wilson 11-5 131 NR
18 Lewis-Clark State 9-7 122 15
19 Olivet Nazarene 13-2 117 17
20-tie SCAD Savannah 7-4 113 16
20-tie McKendree 15-2 113 18
22 Tennessee Wesleyan 9-5 89 NR
23 Martin Methodist 12-4 84 20
24 Webber International 13-6 68 21
25-tie Bethany (Kan.) 17-3 48 25
25-tie Lee (Tenn.) 3-5 48 23

Others receiving votes: Campbellsville 47, Cumberland 42, Lindenwood 39, Northwood (Fla.) 17, Northwestern Ohio 12, Belhaven 8, Biola 5, Walsh 3, Georgetown (Ky.) 1.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

South Alabama Jaguars dominate XU Gold Nuggets in 9-0 victory

NEW ORLEANS -- South Alabama ended its losing streak and extended Xavier University of Louisiana's with a 9-0 women's tennis decision Saturday at Tulane's Goldring Stadium. The match was scored under NAIA rules.

The Jaguars (2-11) had lost eight consecutive duals. The Gold Nuggets (3-16) have lost five straight and 14 of their last 15. It was Xavier's eighth loss of the season against an NCAA Division I opponent.

South Alabama picked up default victories at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles and dropped just eight games in seven completed matches. The closest match was at No. 2 doubles, where Alina Volman and Jess Courtnell defeated sisters Melissa and Nicole DeLoach 8-4.

Chané Hines teamed with Katie Welch for an 8-0 doubles victory over Amber Brown and Carmen Nelson at No. 1, then Hines beat Nicole DeLoach 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3 singles. Welch defeated Brown 6-1, 6-0 at No 1 singles.

Bridgette Gale clinched the dual with her 6-1, 6-0 victory over Ashley McGill at No. 5 singles.

South Alabama will remain in the city and play at Tulane at 1 p.m. Sunday. Xavier will close its regular season with a 4 p.m. Tuesday dual against Southeastern Louisiana at City Park Tennis Center, then travel to Chattanooga, Tenn., for an NAIA National Championship qualifying tournament April 29-30.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

Xavier Gold Rush close regular season with 7-0 loss at Tulane

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana closed its regular season Wednesday with a 7-0 loss at Tulane in the first-ever men's tennis dual match between the schools.

It was the fourth consecutive loss for the XU men (11-9) and their seventh in 10 duals since a 6-3 victory March 4 at Vanguard which propelled them into the NAIA's top 10. It also was the regular-season finale for Tulane (11-10), which has won three straight and five of its last six.

Rodrigo Rappaccioli clinched the doubles point for Tulane when he and Shaye Wali defeated Steffen Giles-Osborn and Sean Richardson 8-4 at No. 2. Rappaccioli clinched the dual with his 6-1, 6-1 victory over Amir Rahbar at No. 4 singles.

Giles-Osborn was the only Gold Rush player to win a set, but he lost 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 (10-3) to Joe Young at No. 2 singles. Zach Taylor, playing No. 3 singles, forced a second-set tiebreaker before losing 6-0, 7-6 (7-5) to Radu Ionescu.

The loss was Xavier's fifth in seven duals this season against NCAA Division I opponents.

The Gold Rush, ranked eighth in the NAIA, will compete next in an NAIA National Championship qualifying tournament April 29-30 at Chattanooga, Tenn. Xavier's women still have two regular-season duals remaining.



By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

Xavier's Abbas repeats as GCAC Player of the Week

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Hassan Abbas is the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week in men's tennis for the second consecutive time.

Hassan Abbas

Abbas, a senior from Saltaire, England, and a graduate of Bingley Grammar School and Ventura College, won in doubles and singles Saturday in a 4-3 loss at the University of New Orleans, an NCAA Division I member. Abbas and Zach Taylor won 8-6 against Benjamin Bouhana and Hossam Meligy at No. 1 doubles, then Abbas tied the dual at 3 with a 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) victory against Vinay Kamineni at No. 1 singles.

Abbas — 12-5 in singles and 13-5 in doubles this season — also won the GCAC award for March 7-13. There were no nominees for March 14-20 or March 21-27. Abbas won the award once in 2010.

Xavier's men and women will travel to Hattiesburg, Miss., for duals with William Carey at 10 a.m. Sunday. Xavier's men are 11-7 and ranked eighth in the NAIA.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
Visit: Xavier University of Louisiana
Visit: XULAATHLETICS

XU Gold Rush are eighth in NAIA for third consecutive time

NEW ORLEANS — For the third straight time Xavier University of Louisiana is No. 8 in the NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll. The fifth of eight polls this season was announced Tuesday.

The No. 8 ranking is the highest ever for an XU men's tennis team.

The Gold Rush (11-7) are in the the top 25 for the 29th consecutive time dating to April 4, 2007. It's the 20th straight time dating to April 30, 2008, that the Gold Rush are among the top 18.

The top nine teams are the same as the previous poll, with Fresno Pacific ranked first for the 12th consecutive time.

A new team in the rankings, No 19 William Carey, will play host to the XU men at 10 a.m. Sunday. Xavier defeated the Crusaders 5-4 on March 13 in the AUM Invitational at Montgomery, Ala.

The Gold Rush will close the regular season April 13 at city rival Tulane in a 3 p.m. dual, then travel to Chattanooga, Tenn., for an NAIA National Championship qualifying tournament April 29-30.



NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, April 3)
Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Fresno Pacific (10) 15-2 250 1
2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 10-5 240 2
3 Auburn Montgomery 17-3 231 3
4 Azusa Pacific 13-4 227 4
5 Oklahoma Christian 13-1 220 5
6 Point Loma Nazarene 11-3 211 6
7 Westmont 8-5 202 7
8 Xavier 11-7 191 8
9 Concordia (Calif.) 6-9 189 9
10 Vanguard 5-11 174 12
11 Graceland 4-4 171 11
12 Shorter 7-1 163 13
13 St. Thomas (Fla.) 10-2 151 14
14 Aquinas 16-3 139 16
15 Lewis-Clark State 8-7 136 15
16 SCAD Savannah 7-3 126 25
17 Olivet Nazarene 11-0 121 19
18 McKendree 12-1 117 tie-20
19 William Carey 6-8 103 RV
20 Martin Methodist 8-4 102 24
21 Webber International 13-4 91 17
22 Cumberland 4-2 83 18
23 Lee (Tenn.) 3-4 76 22
24 Lindenwood 5-1 56 RV
25 Bethany (Kan.) 11-3 50 RV

Others receiving votes: Northwood (Fla.) 49, Biola 30, Oklahoma Baptist 30, Northwestern Ohio 28, Huntington (Ind.) 28, Belhaven 19, William Jewell 1, Bethel (Tenn.) 1.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
Xavier University of Louisiana
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

Xavier Gold Nuggets lose more ground in NAIA rankings

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana was among the others receiving votes for the second consecutive time when the NAIA announced its women's tennis top 25 Tuesday.

The Gold Nuggets are 29th overall after receiving 16 points and missing the top 25 by 41 points. Xavier's women had appeared in 44 consecutive top 25s dating to 2004 before falling short in the March 22 poll.

Defending NAIA champion Fresno Pacific is No. 1 for the fifth time in as many polls this season. The Sunbirds collected nine of 10 first-place votes, with No. 2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) receiving the other.

Xavier (3-14), loser of three straight duals and 12 of its last 13, will travel to 13th-ranked William Carey for a 10 a.m. dual Sunday. The Gold Nuggets will close the regular season against South Alabama at 11 a.m. on April 16 at City Park, then travel to Chattanooga, Tenn., for an NAIA National Championship qualifying tournament April 29-30.



Videographer: EdFunders; Dr. Norman Francis, America's longest serving university president, speaks at Grantmakers for Education's 2010 conference, "The Fierce Urgency of Now: Fulfilling the Promise of Excellence and Equity."

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, April 3)
Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Fresno Pacific (9) 12-4 250 1
2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (1) 15-3 242 2
3 Point Loma Nazarene 12-1 233 3
4 Auburn Montgomery 17-5 227 4
5-tie Oklahoma Christian 10-2 214 6
5-tie Azusa Pacific 15-3 214 5
7 Concordia (Calif.) 10-5 196 tie-8
8 Brenau 5-5 194 7
9 SCAD Savannah 9-1 192 tie-8
10 Vanguard 8-6 174 10
11 Shorter 8-0 173 11
12 Southern Nazarene 7-4 161 12
13 William Carey 8-5 156 13
14 Olivet Nazarene 13-1 142 NR
15 Oklahoma Baptist 7-5 137 15
16 Lee (Tenn.) 7-3 124 18
17 Indiana Wesleyan 17-1 116 14
18 St. Thomas (Fla.) 9-7 111 17
19 Lewis-Clark State 5-11 102 19
20 Martin Methodist 7-4 96 22
21 Campbellsville 8-4 95 RV
22 William Jewell 11-6 90 20
23 Cumberlands 6-8 72 RV
24 Webber International 12-5 68 21
25 Belhaven 12-2 57 24

Others receiving votes: Lindsey Wilson 54, Westmont 45, Indiana Southeast 23, Xavier 16, Northwestern Ohio 8, Taylor 7, Georgetown (Ky.) 5, McKendree 3, Spring Hill 3, Mobile 1, Northwood (Fla.) 1, Robert Morris (Chicago) 1, The Master's (Calif.) 1, Marian (Ind.) 1, Milligan 1.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
Xavier University of Louisiana
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

SWAC West champion Southern defeats Xavier 9-0

NEW ORLEANS — Southern University, the Southwestern Athletic Conference West Division champion, defeated Xavier University of Louisiana 9-0 Sunday in a women's dual at City Park Tennis Center.

The Lady Jaguars (9-5) won every set but one and picked up defaults at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles to defeat the shorthanded Gold Nuggets (3-14) for the second straight season.

Jo'Vonna Gaines, Carlista Mohammed and Kathryn Curtis won singles and doubles matches for Southern. Gaines and Mohammed defeated sisters Melissa and Nicole DeLoach 8-0 at No. 1 doubles, and Mohammed beat Amber Brown 6-0, 6-1 at No. 1 singles. Curtis and Lois Alexis improved their win streak to 10 matches with an 8-0 decision against Brown and Carmen Nelson at No. 2 doubles.

Nelson won her first set against Demetria Woods at No. 3 singles, but Woods rallied for a 2-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-6) victory. Freshman Lisbeth Castaneda clinched the dual with her 6-3, 6-0 victory against Ashley McGill at No. 5 singles.



Xavier, an NAIA member, has dropped three consecutive duals — its second in as many days against an NCAA Division I opponent — and 12 of its last 13. Half of the Gold Nuggets' losses this season are against NCAA D-I.

Xavier's women and men will visit William Carey at 10 a.m. next Sunday. Southern will visit Nicholls State at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
Xavier University of Louisiana
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

Taylor, Abbas ranked nationally in NAIA singles, doubles

Hassan Abbas

NEW ORLEANS — Two men from Xavier University of Louisiana — junior Zach Taylor and senior Hassan Abbas — are ranked nationally in NAIA singles and doubles by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.

The rankings, the first of the spring semester, were announced this week.

Taylor is 23rd and Abbas 39th in singles, and as a doubles team they're 15th. In the NAIA's South rankings, Taylor is eighth, Abbas 14th and Steffen Giles-Osborn 20th in singles. Taylor and Abbas are fifth in doubles, and Giles-Osborn and Sean Richardson are 10th.

The women's doubles team of Amber Brown and Carmen Nelson is 14th in the South.

Taylor is from Monroe, La., and a graduate of St. Frederick High School. Abbas is from Saltaire, England, and a graduate of Bingley Grammar School. Both are graduates of Ventura College.

Giles-Osborn is a junior from Atlanta and a graduate of Westlake High, and Richardson is from Ellenwood, Ga., and a graduate of Stockbridge High. Brown is a home-schooled freshman from Decatur, Ga., and Nelson is a sophomore from Jonesboro, Ga., and a Faith Academy graduate.

The fifth NAIA team rankings of the season will be announced Tuesday.

Where the NAIA ranks Xavier tennis
Men's Singles
Zach Taylor: 23rd nationally, 8th in South
Hassan Abbas: 39th nationally, 14th in South
Steffen Giles-Osborn: 20th in South
Men's Doubles
Zach Taylor and Hassan Abbas: 15th nationally, 5th in South
Steffen Giles-Osborn and Sean Richardson: 10th in South
Women's Doubles
Amber Brown and Carmen Nelson: 14th in South

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
Xavier University of Louisiana
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

Xavier teams defeat Loyola on City Park's new courts

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana, in the first collegiate matches on the newly dedicated hard courts at City Park Tennis Center, defeated city rival Loyola 6-3 in the women's dual and 9-0 in the men's dual Friday.

The Gold Nuggets (3-11) snapped a nine-dual losing streak, and the Gold Rush (11-5), ranked eighth in the NAIA, have won two straight and three of four.

The City Park courts were dedicated Thursday, and Xavier will play all remaining home matches there this season.

XU's women again defaulted the No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles matches because of an incomplete roster but won six of the seven completed matches. Carmen Nelson snapped her 10-match singles losing streak by defeating Loyola's Katie Beargie 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2. Nicole DeLoach clinched the dual by beating Cristiana Krtalic 6-1, 6-1 at No. 4.

Nelson and the DeLoach sisters won in singles and doubles. Melissa DeLoach did not lose a game; she and Nicole DeLoach defeated Frances Bonnin and Beargie 8-0 at No. 2 doubles, then Melissa beat Bonnin 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3 singles.



Loyola's women (1-6) have lost six in a row, and the men (1-5) have lost five in a row. The Wolfpack's lone victory in a non-forfeited match was Claire Landry's 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-7) decision against Amber Brown at No. 1. Brown, a freshman, is 0-4 in third-set super-tiebreakers this season.

Xavier's men dropped four games in nine matches and lost their fewest games in six completed singles matches (two) since Feb. 23, 2008, against Belhaven. Zach Taylor's 6-0, 6-0 decision against Joshua Laviolette at No. 2 clinched the dual, and teammates Hassan Abbas, Sean Richardson, Amir Rahbar and Jonathan Aubrey also won 6-0, 6-0. Richardson didn't drop a game in the dual; he and Steffen Giles-Osborn won 8-0 at No. 2 doubles against Jordan Hunting and Laviolette.

Both Xavier teams will play Auburn Montgomery -- whose men are ranked third and women fourth in the NAIA -- at 4 p.m. Saturday at City Park. AUM's men are the defending NAIA champion. Xavier's Sunday duals at the University of New Orleans were postponed by mutual agreement and will be rescheduled for April.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
Xavier University of Louisiana
Visit: XULA Athletics

Giles-Osborn clinches Gold Rush victory vs. Crusaders

MONTGOMERY, Ala .(March 13, 2011) -- Steffen Giles-Osborn rallied Sunday for a 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 No. 3 singles decision against Dominik Kardell to clinch Xavier University of Louisiana's 5-4 men's tennis victory over William Carey in the AUM Invitational.

Georgetown (Ky.) defeated Xavier's women 6-3.

The Gold Rush (10-5), ranked eighth in the NAIA, never trailed, but William Carey tied the dual at 4 when Younes Hidass defeated Sean Richardson 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 at No. 5 singles. Then Giles-Osborn, ranked 24th in NAIA singles by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, overcame a first-set loss to score his second victory in his last six singles matches.

Giles-Osborn and Hassan Abbas won in doubles and singles for XU's men, who won two of three duals in this event. Fourteenth-ranked Giles-Osborn and Sean Richardson beat Toni Gauta and Hidass 8-2 at No. 2 doubles, and Abbas and Zach Taylor defeated Jody Claassen and Thomas Rizk 9-8 (8-6) at No. 1. Abbas gave Xavier a 3-1 lead when he beat Rizk 6-1, 6-1 at No. 2 singles.
Abbas is 4-0 in singles and 4-0 in doubles in two seasons against William Carey.

Freshman Amir Rahbar scored Xavier's fourth point with a 6-3, 6-0 decision against 50th-ranked Gauta at No. 4.

"The match was a grinder until the end," XU Coach Alan Green said. "William Carey has a very good team, and the match could have gone either way. They are very underrated and easily a top-15 team.
"The atmosphere was loud and raucous at a neutral site. We will have to deal with a team with a loud crowd and a bad taste in their mouth when we play at Carey in a few weeks. It will make for a good match, and we can't wait to play them again."

The Gold Nuggets (2-9) lost their seventh in a row and, for the fourth straight time, forfeited the No. 3 doubles match and the No. 5 and 6 singles matches because of a depleted roster. But the XU women -- specifically, sisters Melissa and Nicole DeLoach -- still won three matches, as many as they won in their previous six duals combined.

The DeLoaches won 8-0 against Emily Krick and Rhyan Martin 8-0 at No. 2 doubles. Then Nicole beat Shelby Eden 6-2, 6-2 at No. 4 singles, and Melissa followed with a 6-0, 6-2 decision over Natalie Hill at No. 3 to cut Georgetown's lead to 4-3. But 47th-ranked Adrienne Bartlett clinched for the Tigers (2-5) at No. 1 when she defeated Carmen Nelson 6-4, 6-2.

Georgetown was ranked 25th in the NAIA preseason poll and 15 points from the top 25 in last week's rankings.

The Nuggets' next match will start at 3 p.m. Wednesday against Rutgers at City Park Tennis Center, and it will be their fifth of the season against an NCAA Division I opponent. The XU men, who have played seven duals in the last 10 days, will return to competition in a 3:30 p.m. makeup March 25 against city rival Loyola at the University of New Orleans.

Xavier drops pair of duals at AUM Invitational

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (March 12, 2011) — Both Xavier University of Louisiana tennis teams lost Saturday in the AUM Invitational. The Gold Rush, ranked eighth in the NAIA, lost 9-0 to unbeaten and fifth-ranked Oklahoma Christian. The Gold Nuggets, ranked 24th, lost 5-1 to Campbellsville.

Xavier scored its lone point at No. 2 women's doubles when sisters Melissa and Nicole DeLoach defeated Stacey Drew and Kristen Hamrick 8-3.

Xavier won only three other sets. Zach Taylor of the Gold Rush won a second-set tiebreaker in a 6-3, 6-7 (7-5), 1-0 (10-7) loss to Thomas Van Cauter at No. 1 singles, and the DeLoach sisters were both up a set when their dual was halted.

The Gold Rush (9-5) lost for the third time in four duals, including two losses to top-10 opponents. The XU men lost for the second time in as many seasons to Oklahoma Christian (11-0) since the Gold Rush's 5-4 victory over the Eagles in the opening round of the 2009 NAIA National Championship.

"The score of the men's match does not indicate how it was played," XU Coach Alan Green said. "This was a competitive fight and the guys played real hard. It took four hours to knock us off. I'm really proud of the fight we put up against a potential national champion. Oklahoma Christian has that good of a team."

Xavier's women extended their losing streak to six duals, their longest in Green's eight seasons. Campbellsville is 2-2.

Both XU teams will play their final duals of this event at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. The Gold Nuggets will play Georgetown (Ky.), and the Gold Rush will play William Carey. Both opponents received votes in last week's coaches polls.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
Xavier University of Louisiana
Visit: XULA Athletics