NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana won men's and women's tennis dual matches Saturday against Belhaven, and the XU men earned their first victory of the season against a ranked opponent.
     The Gold Rush, No. 8 in the NAIA, rolled to an 8-1 decision over the 10th-ranked Blazers. The Gold Nuggets, ranked third, won 5-0.
     Kyle Montrel, Nikita Soifer, Tushar Mandlekar and Manav Chakma won in doubles and singles for the Gold Rush (2-1). Sha'Nel Bruins and Jana van der Walt did the same for the Nuggets (2-2).
     Montrel and Soifer scored first with an 8-2 victory against Omar Lopez and Rene Ramos at the top doubles flight. Montrel beat Jefferson Nino — the NAIA's 19th-ranked singles player in the South — 6-1, 6-0 at No. 1 to clinch the dual.
     Soifer beat Daniel Duarte 6-0, 6-0 at No. 2.
     Mandlekar and Chakma beat Nino and Daniel Prado 8-6 at No. 2 doubles. Mandlekar defeated Lopez 6-1, 6-1 at No. 4 singles, and Chakma beat Ramos 6-2, 7-5 at No. 3.
     Kevin Chaouat and Adam Albrecht beat Duarte and Alexander Puyol 8-3 at No. 3 doubles. Jordan Harrell rallied in singles to defeat Prado 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 at No. 3.
     It was the first-time in five years that the Gold Rush won comfortably against Belhaven. Xavier and Belhaven split a pair of 5-4 duals last season, with the Gold Rush winning in the second round of the NAIA National Championship. Xavier beat seven ranked opponents last season.
     Xavier's women did not drop a set at home for the second time this season. Bruins and Brion Flowers beat Mary Lichlyter and Rachel Jefcoat 8-5 at No. 2 doubles, and Bruins clinched the dual with a 6-0, 6-2 victory against Brittany Keeling at No. 4 singles.
     Van der Walt and Brandi Nelson scored the Nuggets' first point with an 8-1 decision against Ashley McLendon and SaraCaroline Kimball at No. 3 doubles. Van der Walt gave Xavier a 4-0 lead with a 6-1, 6-0 victory against Kimball at No. 5 singles.
     Freshman Caroline Vernet made her collegiate debut at No. 1 doubles with All-America Nour Abbes, and they won 8-3 against AnneMarie Kimball and Stephanie Smith.
     The women's dual ended when Bruins won. Abbes, Vernet and Flowers did not play their singles matches, and Dasia Harris was leading McClendon 6-2, 4-0 at No. 6 at the time of the clinch.
     It was the third consecutive meeting that the Gold Nuggets did not lose a match to Belhaven.
     Belhaven's women are 1-1, and its men are 0-1.
     Xavier's women will play LSU-Alexandria at 1 p.m. Sunday at XU — start time was pushed back one hour — and the next Gold Rush dual will start at 11 a.m. Saturday against NAIA No. 22 William Carey.

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Men's Tennis Results
Xavier 8, Belhaven 1

Saturday, February 7, 2015
XU Tennis Center, New Orleans, La.
Weather:  Clear, 58 degrees, wind NNE at 9 mph, humidity 70 percent
Xavier victories highlighted

Doubles
No. 1 — Kyle Montrel-Nikita Soifer (XU) d. Omar Lopez-Rene Ramos (BU) 8-2.
No. 2 — Tushar Mandlekar-Manav Chakma (XU) d. Jefferson Nino-Daniel Prado (BU) 8-6.
No. 3 — Kevin Chaouat-Adam Albrecht (XU) d. Daniel Duarte-Alexander Puyol (BU) 8-3.

Singles
No. 1 — Kyle Montrel (XU) d. Jefferson Nino (BU) 6-1, 6-0.
No. 2 — Nikita Soifer (XU) d. Daniel Duarte (BU) 6-0, 6-0.
No. 3 — Jordan Harrell (XU) d. Daniel Prado (BU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
No. 4 — Tushar Mandlekar (XU) d. Omar Lopez (BU) 6-1, 6-1.
No. 5 — Manav Chakma (XU) d. Rene Ramos (BU) 6-2, 7-5.
No. 6 — Rafael Siqueira (BU) d. Kevin Chaouat (XU) 6-2, 3-6, 1-0 (12-10).

Order of Finish: Doubles — 1, 3, 2. Singles — 2, 1, 4, 3, 5, 6.
Records: Xavier 2-1, Belhaven 0-1.

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Women's Tennis Results
Xavier 5, Belhaven 0

Saturday, February 7, 2015
XU Tennis Center, New Orleans, La.
Weather:  Clear, 58 degrees, wind NNE at 9 mph, humidity 70 percent

Xavier victories highlighted

Doubles
No. 1 — Nour Abbes-Caroline Vernet (XU) d. AnneMarie Kimball-Stephanie Smith (BU) 8-3.
No. 2 — Brion Flowers-Sha'Nel Bruins (XU) d. Mary Lichlyter-Rachel Jefcoat (BU) 8-5.
No. 3 — Jana van der Walt-Brandi Nelson (XU) d. Ashley McLendon-SaraCaroline Kimball (BU) 8-1.

Singles
No. 1 — Nour Abbes (XU) vs. AnneMarie Kimball (BU), did not play.
No. 2 — Caroline Vernet (XU) vs. Stephanie Smith (BU), did not play.
No. 3 — Brion Flowers (XU) vs. Mary Lichlyter (BU), did not play.
No. 4 — Sha'Nel Bruins (XU) d. Brittany Keeling (BU) 6-0, 6-2.
No. 5 — Jana van der Walt (XU) d. SaraCaroline Kimball (BU) 6-1, 6-0.
No. 6 — Dasia Harris (XU) vs. Ashley McLendon (BU), did not finish . . . Harris led 6-2, 4-0.

Order of Finish: Doubles — 3, 2, 1. Singles — 5, 4.
Records: Xavier 2-2, Belhaven 1-1.

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