Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Nuggets, like Rush, chasing Georgia Gwinnett, Keiser

NEW ORLEANS — Georgia Gwinnett, followed by Keiser, followed by Xavier University of Louisiana.
     
That's the order of the top three teams in this week's NAIA women's tennis coaches poll, which was announced Tuesday. It's the same top three as in the men's poll, and it's been that way throughout the 2019 season.
     
The point totals of the Gold Nuggets, Georgia Gwinnett and Keiser are the same as they were two weeks ago. Georgia Gwinnett, the three-time defending national champion, has received every first-place vote this season.
     
The top 12 women's teams are the same as they were previously.
     
Xavier University of Louisiana women's tennisThe XULA women — 5-3 with a season-best three-dual-match win streak — will play just once this week, but it's a dandy: 2 p.m. Friday against ninth-ranked William Carey in Hattiesburg, Miss. XULA will seek its third victory this season against a top-25 team; the Nuggets already have beaten No. 8 LSU-Alexandria on the road and No. 20 Loyola (New Orleans) at home.
     
The next rankings will be announced March 12.
     The Gold Nuggets' active poll streaks:
     •  60 consecutive appearances in the top 25 . . . streak began May 1, 2012.
     •  60 consecutive appearances in the top 20 . . . streak began May 1, 2012.
     •  19 consecutive appearances in the top 15 . . . streak began Feb. 28, 2017.
     •  10 consecutive appearances in the top 10 . . . streak began Feb. 27, 2018.
     •  9 consecutive appearances in the top 5 . . . streak began March 13, 2018.
     •  7th consecutive appearance in the top 4 . . . streak began April 10, 2018.
     •  6th consecutive appearance in the top 3 . . . streak began April 24, 2018.
 
NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Feb. 24)
RANKPREVIOUSSCHOOLRECORDPOINTS
11Georgia Gwinnett [14]0-0374
22Keiser (Fla.)3-1362
33Xavier (La.)2-2350
44Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)0-0330
55Brenau (Ga.)1-2326
66William Woods (Mo.)0-1320
77Cardinal Stritch (Wis.)0-0296
88LSU-Alexandria (La.)1-0285
99William Carey (Miss.)0-0278
1010Indiana Wesleyan16-1266
1111SCAD Savannah (Ga.)2-1265
1212Middle Georgia 0-1242
1313San Diego Christian (Calif.)1-0230
1414Westmont (Calif.)1-3216
1515Cumberlands (Ky.)1-1208
1616SCAD Atlanta (Ga.)1-0194
1718Union (Ky.)0-1179
1819Cumberland (Tenn.)0-0168
1920Arizona Christian0-2153
2021Loyola (La.)2-2147
2122Campbellsville (Ky.)2-0130
2225Marian (Ind.)11-3114
2323Mobile (Ala.)0-0112
2424Reinhardt (Ga.)0-0104
2517Northwestern Ohio0-282

Dropped from the Top 25: none
Others Receiving Votes: Georgetown (Ky.) 64, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 48, Missouri Valley 36, Southwestern (Kan.) 22, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 16, Tennessee Wesleyan 15, Webber International (Fla.) 11, Asbury (Ky.) 10, Martin Methodist (Tenn.) 8, Southeastern (Fla.) 3.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
XULAgold.com
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 
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3-peat for Gold Rush; Nicholls match moved to 2 p.m.

Xavier University of Louisiana men's tennisNEW ORLEANS — For the third time in as many NAIA men's tennis coaches polls this season, Xavier University of Louisiana is No. 3 behind five-time defending national champion Georgia Gwinnett and Keiser.
     
The Gold Rush (2-1) played just once since the previous poll Feb. 12: a 9-0 Sunday victory at Louisiana College. But the XULA men will get busier, playing twice this week and four times each of the following two weeks.
     
Coach Alan Green said the Gold Rush's Wednesday home match against NCAA Division I member Nicholls was pushed up one hour. The new start time will be 2 p.m. at XULA Tennis Center.
     
Georgia Gwinnett (4-0) is a unanimous No. 1 for thr 40th consecutive poll. The next rankings will be announced March 12.
     The Gold Rush active poll streaks:
     •  98 consecutive appearances in the top 25 . . . streak began April 4, 2007.
     •  89 consecutive appearances in the top 20 . . . streak began April 30, 2008.
     •  74 consecutive appearances in the top 15 . . . streak began Feb. 1, 2011.
     •  68 consecutive appearances in the top 10 . . . streak began May 3, 2011.
     •  30 consecutive appearances in the top 5 . . . streak began Jan. 26, 2016.
     •  30 consecutive appearances in the top 4 . . . streak began Jan. 26, 2016.
 
NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Feb. 24)
RANKPREVIOUSSCHOOL RECORDPOINTS
11Georgia Gwinnett (14)4-0374
22Keiser (Fla.)6-3361
33Xavier (La.)2-1351
45Reinhardt (Ga.)2-0337
56Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)0-1317
57William Woods (Mo.)1-0317
78Cumberland (Tenn.)0-0299
815Middle Georgia 4-2290
99Campbellsville (Ky.)4-0277
1010Cardinal Stritch (Wis.)0-0266
114William Carey (Miss.)2-1262
1212Arizona Christian4-0239
1313Tennessee Wesleyan2-1227
1411Mobile (Ala.)2-1217
1514Union (Ky.)1-4210
1616Point (Ga.)3-4196
1723Hope International (Calif.)5-1160
1820Marian (Ind.)15-3159
1918McPherson (Kan.)0-0157
2021Cumberlands (Ky.)2-0146
2119Northwestern Ohio4-2142
2222Coastal Georgia4-2128
2317Westmont (Calif.)2-3117
2423Asbury (Ky.)1-187
25RVIndiana Wesleyan18-371

Dropped from the Top 25: San Diego Christian (Calif.)
Others Receiving Votes: Loyola (La.) 44, Texas A&M-Texarkana 40, Marymount California 34, Judson (Ill.) 21, San Diego Christian (Calif.) 21, Lawrence Tech (Mich.) 20, Ottawa (Kan.) 16, Webber International (Fla.) 11, Missouri Valley 10, Hastings (Neb.) 7, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 6, Georgetown (Ky.) 4, St. Thomas (Fla.) 4, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 3.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
XULAgold.com
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 
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Nuggets to march into home stretch with No. 23 ranking

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketball has climbed into the NAIA Division I top 25 for the first time this season. The Gold Nuggets were No. 23 when the NAIA announced its seventh poll of the season Tuesday.
     
"Traditionally, we have been a top 25 team," said Bo Browder, whose Gold Nuggets made the 138th top-25 appearance of his 20 seasons as head coach. "I am proud of this team for getting us back there — but we still have a lot of work to get done in March."
     
Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketballXULA (23-6) won an outright Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championship when it defeated Philander Smith 66-57 at home Monday. The Gold Nuggets will be seeded first at the GCAC Tournament at Jacksonville, Fla., and play eighth-seeded city rival SUNO in opening round Friday.
     
XULA was among "others receiving votes" and in 28th place in the previous two polls. The Gold Nuggets ended the longest top-25 drought of the Browder era, 23 polls. They had not been in the top 25 since Feb. 2, 2016, when they were 24th.
     
The GCAC's second-place team, Talladega, fell from 11th to 13th. For the first time since 2014, the GCAC will have two top-25 women's teams entering its postseason tournament.
 
NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Feb. 24)
RANKPREVIOUSSCHOOL RECORDPOINTS
12Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) (7)28-2218
23Campbellsville (Ky.) (2)28-2212
31Columbia (Mo.)27-3204
44Montana Western22-3197
55The Master's (Calif.)25-5192
67MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)24-4184
78Carroll (Mont.)21-7174
86Wayland Baptist (Texas)25-5172
910Oklahoma City27-3161
1015Westmont (Calif.)22-7153
1114William Penn (Iowa)27-2150
129Vanguard (Calif.)21-8140
1311Talladega (Ala.)25-4134
1415Our Lady of the Lake (Texas)23-6130
1513Bethel (Tenn.)26-4125
1612Shawnee State (Ohio)22-8118
1722Menlo (Calif.)20-8102
1819Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)21-9101
1917Lyon (Ark.)23-693
2024Rocky Mountain (Mont.)19-1185
2121Arizona Christian20-1075
2217Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)19-1073
23RVXavier (La.)22-660
2425Loyola (La.)23-659
25RVPikeville (Ky.)20-1048
Dropped from the Top 25: LSU-Alexandria (La.), Providence (Mont.)
Others Receiving Votes: LSU-Alexandria (La.) 40, William Jessup (Calif.) 32, Science & Arts (Okla.) 29, Providence (Mont.) 25, Central Methodist (Mo.) 10, Martin Methodist (Tenn.) 5, William Woods (Mo.) 5, Clarke (Iowa) 4

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
XULAgold.com
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 
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NCAA D2 West Alabama hires Lobenstein as head coach

Xavier University of Louisiana women's volleyballNEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Hilary Lobenstein is returning to her alma mater, the University of West Alabama.
     
UWA announced Tuesday the hiring of Lobenstein as head coach of women's volleyball. Her appointment is effective Friday (March 1, 2019). Lobenstein spent the previous five seasons (2014-18) as a XULA assistant coach, the last two under Pat Kendrick.
     
UWA is a member of NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference. XULA is a member of the NAIA and the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference.
     
Lobenstein was a graduate assistant coach at UWA in 2012 and 2013. She earned bachelor's and master's degrees from UWA and played volleyball there. She helped UWA go 51-19 in her two playing seasons and win the GSC East Division championship in 2009.
     
Hilary Lobenstein
Hilary Lobenstein
"The offer happened pretty quickly," Lobenstein said. "West Alabama contacted me. I went for a visit, and the situation felt right. I'm excited to go back."
     
Lobenstein helped the Gold Nuggets win GCAC regular-season and tournament championships in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 and qualify for the NAIA National Championship tournament all five seasons. The Gold Nuggets were 104-41 overall, 62-2 GCAC during Lobenstein's tenure. The 2018 Gold Nuggets were 26-7, earned their first-ever victory against a ranked NAIA opponent (Indiana Wesleyan) and set school season records with a .262 hitting percentage and 1.85 blocks per game.
     
"Hilary has been a great help to me throughout my time here at Xavier. She will be truly missed," Kendrick said. "We wish her all the best, and we know she will do outstanding work at the University of West Alabama."
     
Lobenstein will succeed Alexis Meeks, hired by DI South Alabama as head coach after leading UWA the past three seasons. Meeks's 2018 Tigers were 22-10, set a school record with 13 conference victories and earned the program's first-ever berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament. Only one of the Tigers' top four scorers in 2018 was a senior.
     
XULA has launched a nationwide search for Lobenstein's replacement.

 Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
XULAgold.com
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 
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Vikings hold off Rams in OT to advance in CIAA Men's Tournament


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McDaniel's Three Lifts St. Augustine's Over Lincoln


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ECSU Vikings Defeat Rams to advance to CIAA Women's Quarterfinals


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