Vanguard eliminates XU Gold Rush in NAIA second round

MOBILE, Ala. — Vanguard's reversal of fortune resulted in a 5-3 victory Wednesday against Xavier University of Louisiana in the second round of the NAIA Men's Tennis National Championship.

The Lions (9-13), seeded ninth in the 24-team tournament, advanced to the quarterfinals for the third straight year and the seventh time in eight seasons. They avenged a 6-3 March 4 home loss to Xavier.

Xavier, seeded eighth, got a doubles victory from freshmen Amir Rahbar and Jonathan Aubrey and singles victories from Zach Taylor and Hassan Abbas, but the Gold Rush (13-10) were eliminated in the second round for the third straight season.

"Vanguard was much more intense, focused and determined than earlier in the season," Xavier Coach Alan Green said.

The Lions' turnaround began in doubles, where they dominated at the top two flights after losing those matches to Xavier in the regular season. Lucas Pereira and Alexandre Piccin throttled Abbas and Taylor 8-0 at No. 1 — the first shutout loss of the season for the NAIA's 15th-ranked tandem — and Yahor Kryvaruchka and Sandro Bucher beat Steffen Giles-Osborn and Sean Richardson 8-2. It was the first time since March 15, 2003, that XU's top two doubles teams combined to win just two games.

"Vanguard came out and destroyed us in the top two doubles matches," Green said.

Xavier finally scored when Rahbar and Aubrey defeated Nils Iwdal and Robin Wagner 8-4. Abbas tied the dual at 2 with his 6-2, 6-1 victory against Kryvaruchka at No. 2 singles, and Taylor made it 3-all with his 6-0, 6-4 decision against seventh-ranked Pereira at No. 1. But Piccin put Vanguard ahead to stay with a 6-1, 6-3 victory against Richardson at No. 5, and Bucher clinched the dual at No. 3 with a 6-4, 6-4 decision against Giles-Osborn.

"Vanguard was a different team than the one we faced in California," Green said. "They never gave us any opportunity to get into the match. We fought hard in singles but couldn't gain a lead in the overall score."

Still it was a record-setting season for Xavier. The March victory at Vanguard was the first for the Gold Rush against a top-10 NAIA opponent, and it propelled the XU men into the top 10 for the first time. Xavier was top 10 in five of the final six polls and finished at a program-record eighth.

But with high achievements come higher expectations — and the chance of bigger letdowns.

"The season shouldn't have ended the way it did for us," Green said. "This was a very disappointing loss."

Results

NAIA National Championship (seedings in parentheses) First Round — 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 17 St. Thomas (Fla.) (17) d. Aquinas (16) 5-4 Vanguard (9) d. Mobile (24) 9-0 Graceland (12) d. Huntington (Ind.) (21) 8-1 Concordia (Calif.) (13) d. Bethany (Kan.) (20) 5-3 Lindsey Wilson (14) d. Lewis-Clark State (19) 6-3 Shorter (11) d. Hastings (22) 8-1 Union (Ky.) (10) d. Brescia (23) 9-0 William Carey (15) d. Olivet Nazarene (18) 6-3 Second Round — 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 18 Fresno Pacific (1) d. St. Thomas (Fla.) (17) 5-0 Vanguard (9) d. Xavier (8) 5-3 Azusa Pacific (5) d. Graceland (12) 5-1 Oklahoma Christian (4) d. Concordia (Calif.) (13) 5-0 Auburn Montgomery (3) d. Lindsey Wilson (14) 5-0 Westmont (6) d. Shorter (11) 5-1 Point Loma Nazarene (7) d. Union (Ky.) (10) 5-2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (2) d. William Carey (15) 5-1 Quarterfinals — 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 19 Fresno Pacific (1) vs. Vanguard (9) Azusa Pacific (5) vs. Oklahoma Christian (4) Auburn Montgomery (3) vs. Westmont (6) Point Loma Nazarene (7) vs. Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (2) Semifinals — 9 a.m. on Friday, May 20 Championship — 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 21 Xavier at Nationals (2-3) May 12, 2009 (first round): Xavier 5, Oklahoma Christian 4 May 13, 2009 (second round): Auburn Montgomery 5, Xavier 0 May 18, 2010 (first round): Xavier 5, Tennessee Wesleyan 3 May 19, 2010 (second round): Fresno Pacific 5, Xavier 1 May 18, 2011 (second round): Vanguard 5, Xavier 3

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

Xavier Gold Rush to play Vanguard in second round of nationals

The 2010-11 Xavier University of Louisiana men's tennis team: from left,
 Zach Taylor, Jonathan Aubrey, Steffen Giles-Osborn, Coach Alan Green,
 Amir Rahbar, Sean Richardson and Hassan Abbas.
(Photo courtesy - Xavier University Sports Information)

MOBILE, Ala. — Xavier University of Louisiana will get a rematch with Vanguard in Wednesday's second round of the NAIA Men's Tennis National Championship at Copeland-Cox Tennis Center.

Xavier, 13-9 and the No. 8 seed, had a first-round bye Tuesday. Vanguard, 8-13 and the No. 9 seed, advanced to the second round with a 9-0 victory against No. 24 Mobile.

The XU men won 6-3 at Vanguard on March 4 for their first-ever victory against a top-10 NAIA opponent. The Gold Rush won at the top two doubles flights and got singles victories from Zach Taylor, Hassan Abbas, Amir Rahbar and Sean Richardson. Taylor clinched the dual with his 6-2, 7-5 victory against Pereira, the NAIA's 10th-ranked singles player.

This is Xavier's third consecutive appearance at nationals. The Gold Rush lost in the second round to the eventual runner-up each of the past two seasons after first-round victories against Oklahoma Christian in 2009 and Tennessee Wesleyan in 2010.

The Gold Rush will try to become the second Xavier team in any sport to reach the NAIA quarterfinals. The only time it happened was in men's basketball in 1973.

NAIA National Championship (seedings in parentheses) First Round — 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 17 St. Thomas (Fla.) (17) d. Aquinas (16) 5-4 Vanguard (9) d. Mobile (24) 9-0 Graceland (12) d. Huntington (Ind.) (21) 8-1 Concordia (Calif.) (13) d. Bethany (Kan.) (20) 5-3 Lindsey Wilson (14) d. Lewis-Clark State (19) 6-3 Shorter (11) d. Hastings (22) 8-1 Union (Ky.) (10) d. Brescia (23) 9-0 William Carey (15) d. Olivet Nazarene (18) 6-3 Second Round — 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 18 Fresno Pacific (1) vs. St. Thomas (Fla.) (17) Xavier (8) vs. Vanguard (9) Azusa Pacific (5) vs. Graceland (12) Oklahoma Christian (4) vs. Concordia (Calif.) (13) Auburn Montgomery (3) vs. Lindsey Wilson (14) Westmont (6) vs. Shorter (11) Point Loma Nazarene (7) vs. Union (Ky.) (10) Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (2) vs. William Carey (15) Quarterfinals — 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 19 Semifinals — 9 a.m. on Friday, May 20 Championship — 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 21 Xavier at Nationals (2-2) May 12, 2009 (first round): Xavier 5, Oklahoma Christian 4 May 13, 2009 (second round): Auburn Montgomery 5, Xavier 0 May 18, 2010 (first round): Xavier 5, Tennessee Wesleyan 3 May 19, 2010 (second round): Fresno Pacific 5, Xavier 1

Vanguard, from Costa Mesa, Calif., reached the NAIA quarterfinals six of the last seven seasons and was a semifinalist in 2004 and 2000. The Lions tied for fifth place in the Golden State Athletic Conference and are one of six GSAC teams ranked among the final top 12.

Higher seeds won seven of eight first-round matches Tuesday. The exception was No 17 St. Thomas (Fla.), which defeated No. 16 Aquinas 5-4.

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

Xavier rises to the top, collects first GCAC all-sports trophy

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana is the 2010-11 winner of the Thomas Howell Cup, the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference's all-sports award.

It's the first time that Xavier has won the award. The athletics department finished in the top three the past six seasons.

The Thomas Howell Cup, named for the GCAC's longtime commissioner, is awarded annually to the school with the most points based on order of finish in various sports. Xavier, boosted by repeat championships in men's cross country, women's cross country and women's basketball, finished the year with 31 points. First-year member Edward Waters was second with 23 points, and Dillard and SUNO tied for third with 20 points apiece.

Xavier has won 26 GCAC team championships and earned 20 berths in NAIA national championships during its last six seasons. Xavier suspended intercollegiate athletics in 2005-06 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In five seasons since then, the Rush and Nuggets have combined for 22 GCAC team championships and 17 berths in NAIA national championships.

The GCAC this summer will add two members, Philander Smith and Talladega, to increase league membership to eight schools for 2011-12.

Thomas Howell Cup 2010-11 Standings No. School Points 1. Xavier 31 2. Edward Waters 23 3. Dillard 20 SUNO 20 5. Tougaloo 16½ 6. Fisk 9½

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

Rush get first-round bye at NAIA National Championship

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana received a first-round bye when pairings were announced Tuesday for the NAIA Men's Tennis National Championship.

The Gold Rush (13-9) are seeded eighth — the same position as in the final coaches poll announced Monday — and will play at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 18 against the winner of a first-round match between ninth-seeded Vanguard (7-13) and 24th-seeded Mobile (6-7).

All matches will be played at Copeland-Cox Tennis Center in Mobile, Ala. The Vanguard-Mobile dual will be one of eight played May 17, and the tournament will conclude May 21. Twenty-four teams qualified, and eight received byes.

Xavier qualified automatically for nationals by winning the Unaffiliated Group 2 Tournament April 29-30 at Chattanooga, Tenn. Vanguard received an at-large bid, and Mobile qualified as host institution.

Xavier earned its first victory against a top-10 NAIA opponent with its 6-3 decision at Vanguard on March 4. The Lions, a quarterfinalist five of the last six seasons and a semifinalist in 2000 and 2004, beat the Gold Rush 6-3 in 2010 and 5-4 in 2008 in regular-season duals.

Xavier did not play Mobile this year, but the Gold Rush were 8-0 against the Mobile the previous three seasons, including victories in the finals of Gulf Coast Athletic Conference tournaments in 2008 and 2009. Mobile competed in the Southern States Athletic Conference this year.

This is the third consecutive year that the XU men qualified for the national tournament. In 2009 the Gold Rush defeated Oklahoma Christian 5-4 in the first round, then lost to eventual runner-up Auburn Montgomery 5-0. Last year the Gold Rush beat Tennessee Wesleyan 5-3 in the first round, then lost 5-1 to eventual runner-up Fresno Pacific.

Fresno Pacific, a 5-2 loser to Auburn Montgomery in the 2010 final, is the No. 1 seed and could play Xavier in the quarterfinals May 19.

Bracket

NAIA National Championship (seedings in parentheses) First Round — 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 17 Aquinas (16) vs. St. Thomas (Fla.) (17) Vanguard (9) vs. Mobile (24) Graceland (12) vs. Huntington (Ind.) (21) Concordia (Calif.) (13) vs. Bethany (Kan.) (20) Lindsey Wilson (14) vs. Lewis-Clark State (19) Shorter (11) vs. Hastings (22) Union (Ky.) (10) vs. Brescia (23) William Carey (15) vs. Olivet Nazarene (18) Second Round — 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 18 Fresno Pacific (1) vs. Aquinas-St. Thomas winner Xavier (8) vs. Vanguard-Mobile winner Azusa Pacific (5) vs. Graceland-Huntington winner Oklahoma Christian (4) vs. Concordia-Bethany winner Auburn Montgomery (3) vs. Lindsey Wilson - Lewis-Clark State winner Westmont (6) vs. Shorter-Hastings winner Point Loma Nazarene (7) vs. Union-Brescia winner Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (2) vs. William Carey-Olivet Nazarene winner Quarterfinals — 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 19 Semifinals — 9 a.m. on Friday, May 20 Championship — 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 21 Xavier at Nationals (2-2) May 12, 2009 (first round): Xavier 5, Oklahoma Christian 4 May 13, 2009 (second round): Auburn Montgomery 5, Xavier 0 May 18, 2010 (first round): Xavier 5, Tennessee Wesleyan 3 May 19, 2010 (second round): Fresno Pacific 5, Xavier 1

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

XU's Taylor selected NAIA and GCAC Player of the Week

Zach Taylor

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Zach Taylor was selected NAIA Men's Tennis Player of the Week for April 25-May 1. He also won a similar honor from the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference.

Taylor, a junior from Monroe, La., and a graduate of St. Frederick High School and Ventura College, won 38 of 47 games to help the Gold Rush win both its dual matches in a qualifying tourna
ment at Chattanooga, Tenn., for the NAIA National Championship. Taylor and Hassan Abbas, the NAIA's 15th-ranked doubles team, defeated Martin Methodist's Vinicius Santos — the TranSouth Athletic Conference Player of the Year — and Juan Suarez 8-0 in the championship dual, and Taylor put the Gold Rush ahead to stay with his 6-1, 6-3 victory against Renato Castro.

"Our men had never been in the top 10 or beaten a top-10 team before Zach started playing for us this year," said eighth-year XU Coach Alan Green. "He has been a difference-maker."

Taylor, 10-10 in singles and 15-7 in doubles this season, is the first Xavier athlete to win an NAIA national player-of-the-week award since Brittany Powell (women's basketball) did it for Jan. 18-24, 2010. This is the first season of the NAIA's weekly tennis awards. The GCAC award is Taylor's third this season.

XU's men, 13-9 and ranked ninth, will compete in the NAIA National Championship at Mobile, Ala., from May 17-21.

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

XU Gold Rush back in NAIA top 10 after climbing two places

NEW ORLEANS — For the fourth time in five polls, Xavier University of Louisiana is among the top 10 in the NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25.

The Gold Rush (13-9) climbed two spots Tuesday to No. 9 after beating Bethel (Tenn.) 6-0 and Martin Methodist 5-2 to win an NAIA National Championship qualifying tournament at Chattanooga, Tenn. XU's men qualified for the national tournament for the third consecutive year.

Xavier was No. 8, a program record, for three consecutive polls beginning March 8.

The Gold Rush are in the the top 25 for the 31st consecutive time dating to April 4, 2007 — that's the fifth longest active streak among NAIA men's teams — and it's the 22nd straight time dating to April 30, 2008, that the Gold Rush are among the top 18.

NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, May 1) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Fresno Pacific (12) 21-2 312 1 2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 14-6 302 2 3 Auburn Montgomery 23-3 291 3 4 Oklahoma Christian 21-1 279 5 5 Azusa Pacific 15-6 276 4 6 Westmont 12-5 262 6 7 Point Loma Nazarene 15-7 252 7 8 Vanguard 7-13 228 12 9 Xavier 13-9 225 11 10 Union (Ky.) 17-5 217 10 11 Concordia (Calif.) 8-14 207 8 12 Shorter 12-4 206 15 13 Graceland 11-5 193 13 14 William Carey 12-9 183 9 15 Lindsey Wilson 14-5 176 17 16 Aquinas 24-3 174 14 17 St. Thomas (Fla.) 14-3 157 16 18 Olivet Nazarene 14-3 132 19 19 Lewis-Clark State 10-8 127 18 20 McKendree 20-3 122 tie-20 21 Tennessee Wesleyan 11-6 115 22 22 SCAD Savannah 7-4 109 tie-20 23 Martin Methodist 14-5 90 23 24 Webber International 13-6 79 24 25 Bethany (Kan.) 19-3 69 tie-25 Others receiving votes: Lee (Tenn.) 59; Campbellsville 41, Northwood (Fla.) 23, Huntington (Ind.) 23, Cumberland 22, Lindenwood 19, Northwestern Ohio 13, Walsh 6, Our Lady of the Lake 5, Georgetown (Ky.) 1, Biola 1.

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, May 1) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Fresno Pacific (10) 18-4 281 1 2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (1) 20-3 272 2 3 Auburn Montgomery 23-5 260 4 4 Azusa Pacific 19-4 253 6 5 Oklahoma Christian 17-2 244 5 6 Point Loma Nazarene 18-3 242 3 7 Concordia (Calif.) 14-7 226 7 8 Brenau 10-7 218 8 9 SCAD Savannah 10-2 207 9 10 Vanguard 10-10 201 10 11 Southern Nazarene 14-6 184 12 12 William Carey 14-6 182 13 13 Lee (Tenn.) 9-5 171 16 14 Olivet Nazarene 19-1 160 14 15 Shorter 11-4 156 11 16-tie Indiana Wesleyan 21-1 139 17 16-tie Lewis-Clark State 6-14 139 21 18 Martin Methodist 15-5 127 18 19 Lindsey Wilson 13-5 121 23 20 Oklahoma Baptist 9-10 110 15 21 St. Thomas (Fla.) 9-9 102 19 22 Campbellsville 14-5 96 20 23 William Jewell 17-7 90 22 24 Webber International 12-9 68 24 25 Belhaven 14-3 60 25 Others receiving votes: Westmont 42, Milligan 41, Cumberlands 27, Robert Morris (Chicago) 23, Indiana Southeast 19, McKendree 17, Taylor 5, The Master's 3, Northwood (Fla.) 3, Xavier 1, Mobile 1, Georgetown (Ky.) 1, Spring Hill 1,; Marian (Ind.) 1.

Lee (Tenn.) dropped out of the top 25 after being tied for 25th in the previous poll. That snapped the Flames' streak of 47 consecutive appearances in the top 25. There are no new teams in this week's top 25, and Xavier was one of seven teams to climb. The top three teams are the same as the previous poll, with Fresno Pacific ranked first for the 14th consecutive time. Martin Methodist, 0-2 this season against Xavier, remained 23rd.

This was the seventh of eight polls this season. The final rankings will be announced Sunday.

The Gold Rush will play May 17 in the first round or May 18 in the second round of the NAIA National Championship at Mobile, Ala.

Xavier's women, whose season ended Saturday with a 5-0 loss to Milligan in the semifinals of the qualifying tournament, are out of the top 25 for the fourth consecutive time. The Gold Nuggets collected one point to tie for 35th place.

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

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

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

Louis Williams, standout on 29-2 XU Gold Rush team, dies

Louis Theodore Williams
March 26, 1960 - April 20, 2011

NEW ORLEANS — Louis Williams, the leading scorer on Xavier University of Louisiana's 29-2 men's basketball team in 1981-82, died this past Wednesday (April 20) in Houston at age 51.

Williams died in his sleep of natural causes, his sister Dawn said.

A 6-foot-4 forward and a native of Gulfport, Miss., Williams averaged 17 points and 6.9 points per game and shot 57.4 percent from the floor to earn NAIA All-America honorable mention for Coach Denny Alexander's Gold Rush in 1981-82. Xavier lost its opener, then won 29 in a row to tie a school record for consecutive victories in one season. The XU men were 12-0 in league play during the first season of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, won the NAIA District 30 playoffs to qualify for the NAIA National Championship and ranked third in the final NAIA coaches poll.

"A tremendous athlete with fantastic leaping ability and a soft but deadly jump shot." Alexander said of Williams. "Capable of being unstoppable at times . . . sometimes he's downright awesome."

Williams was one of three freshmen from Alexander's 1979-80 team to reach 1,200 career points at Xavier. The others were Eugene Johnson and Alvin "Bo" Dukes. Williams played through his junior season and finished with 1,206 points — which still ranks him 17th on Xavier's career list — and 527 rebounds in 86 games.

Williams averaged 11.8 points and 5.1 rebounds as a freshman. As a sophomore he averaged 12.8 and 6.1 rebounds and blocked 67 shots — still a Gold Rush season record — for a 21-8 team which won the NAIA District 30 playoffs and qualified for the national tourney for the first time in eight seasons.

His single-game highs included 34 points at Paul Quinn on Jan. 11, 1982, 17 rebounds at Dillard on Feb. 14, 1981, and nine blocked shots against Philander Smith in the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Tournament on Dec. 19, 1980.

As a senior at Harrison Central High School in 1978-79, Williams averaged 19 points and 16 rebounds.

"Sweet Lou was the best," Dawn Williams said. "He was everyone's best friend. He would sit on his front porch and talk to everybody who passed by."

Williams is survived by six daughters and 16 siblings. A Mass of Christian burial will start at 10 a.m. Monday (May 2) at St. Therese of Lisieux Catholic Church, 3521 19th Street in Gulfport, MS 39501, phone 228-863-0642. Burial will follow at Monroe Memorial Park at the corner of Canal and Hutter roads in Gulfport. In lieu of flowers, the Williams family requests donations to Dawn Williams accounts at Wells Fargo Bank or Hancock Bank to help defray funeral expenses.

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 Rush remain eighth in the national rankings

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana maintained its program-record No. 8 position in the NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll announced Tuesday. It's the first time an XU tennis team has been in consecutive top 10s.

The Gold Rush (10-5) have appeared in 28 consecutive top 25s dating to April 4, 2007, and it's the 19th straight time dating to April 30, 2008, that the Gold Rush are among the top 18. This is the second XU men's team of 2010-11 to make the top 10 in consecutive polls — the basketball team did it in December.

XU's men will play four times before the next poll on April 5, including three duals in as many days beginning Friday. The Gold Rush will play Loyola at 3:30 p.m. Friday and third-ranked Auburn Montgomery at 4 p.m. Saturday — both at City Park Tennis Center — and visit NCAA Division I New Orleans at 10 a.m. Sunday.

Fresno Pacific is No. 1 for the 11th consecutive poll. Embry-Riddle (Fla.) replaced Auburn Montgomery at No. 2 after defeating the Senators 7-2 on March 14. AUM is the defending NAIA champion and winner of four of the last five championships.

NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, March 20)
Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Fresno Pacific (9) 12-2 219 1
2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 7-5 207 3
3 Auburn Montgomery 13-2 203 2
4 Azusa Pacific 10-3 199 4
5 Oklahoma Christian 11-1 197 5
6 Point Loma Nazarene 8-2 184 6
7 Westmont 5-4 177 7
8 Xavier 10-5 169 8
9 Concordia (Calif.) 4-8 164 9
10 Union (Ky.) 10-4 156 11
11 Graceland 3-4 145 10
12 Vanguard 4-9 142 13
13 Shorter 6-1 139 12
14 St. Thomas (Fla.) 8-2 127 14
15 Lewis-Clark State 7-7 122 15
16 Aquinas 13-2 104 19
17 Webber International 12-3 100 18
18 Cumberland 3-1 95 RV
19 Olivet Nazarene 10-0 85 21
20-tie McKendree 5-1 84 20
20-tie Campbellsville 6-4 84 RV
22 Lee (Tenn.) 1-4 69 22
23 Tennessee Wesleyan 3-2 66 16
24 Martin Methodist 4-4 62 17
25 SCAD Savannah 3-3 57 24

Others receiving votes: William Carey 42, Oklahoma Baptist 36, Lindsey Wilson 36, Huntington (Ind.) 17, Bethany (Kan.) 17, Northwood (Fla.) 8, Biola 5, Northwestern Ohio 4, Bethel (Tenn.) 1, Belhaven 1.

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

XU Gold Rush's Kenner is a Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Jamaan Kenner is a Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete in men's basketball.

Kenner — a junior guard from LaPlace, La., and a graduate of East St. John High School — was one of 59 to receive that honor Monday. NAIA athletes qualify for the award with minimums of junior academic status and a cumulative 3.5 grade-point average. Kenner is a senior academically and a biology/pre-medical major with a 3.59 GPA.

Jamaan Kenner
2011 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete

He helped the Gold Rush finish 27-6 this season — the most victories by an XU men's team since 1983-84 — finish second in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament and earn an at-large bid to the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship. Kenner averaged 4.7 points and 1.8 rebounds in 32 games with 16 starts. He made 28-of-89 3-pointers and hit a season-high four treys against Concordia (Ala.) on Jan. 6. Kenner was the GCAC Player of the Week for Dec. 6-12.

"Jamaan Kenner is an outstanding representative of Xavier University and the men's basketball program," eighth-year head coach Dannton Jackson said. "He works diligently in the classroom and on the court."

Kenner was the lone men's or women's basketball player from the GCAC to be named a Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete this season.

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

Abbas, DeLoach selected GCAC Players of the Week

Melissa DeLoach
Fort Washington, MD

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Hassan Abbas and Melissa DeLoach swept the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week tennis awards for March 7-13.

Abbas, a senior from Saltaire, England, and a graduate of Bingley Grammar School and Ventura College, was 3-2 in singles and 3-2 in doubles. Abbas defeated ITA No. 33 Bryan Cox of Westmont 6-4, 7-5 in singles, and he won in singles and doubles in Xavier's 5-4 victory against William Carey at the AUM Invitational.

DeLoach, a senior from Fort Washington, Md., and a graduate of Bishop McNamara High School, won her second GCAC award of 2011 after going 2-0 in singles and 2-1 in doubles at the AUM Invitational.

The next Xavier women's match will start at 3 p.m. Tuesday against SCAD Atlanta at the University of New Orleans, and both Xavier teams will play city rival Loyola in makeup duals at 3:30 p.m. Friday at UNO.

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