Nikita Soifer
Yamlak Tsega / XULA Athletics

Men's Tennis

Gold Rush reach NAIA quarterfinals for 4th straight year

Results

     MOBILE, Ala. — Nikita Soifer and Tushar Mandlekar won in doubles and singles Wednesday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 5-0 men's tennis victory against Coastal Georgia in round of 16 at the NAIA National Championship.
     The Gold Rush (13-7), seeded and ranked sixth, reached the quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive year. Xavier will play third-seeded and third-ranked Vanguard at 9 a.m. Thursday.
     Soifer and Kyle Montrel concluded the doubles with a 9-8 (7-3) victory at the top flight against Robin Lucas and Daniel Rush. Soifer then clinched the dual with a 6-0, 7-5 victory against Lucas at No. 2 singles.
     Mandlekar and Manav Chakma beat Erick Bermudez and Alejandro Aquilino 8-4 at No. 2 doubles, and Mandlekar beat Rush 6-2, 6-1 at No. 4 singles.
     The singles victory was Mandlekar's team-leading 20th of the season. The sophomore also leads the Gold Rush with 18 doubles victories.
     Xavier scored its other point at No. 3 doubles, where Kevin Chaouat and Adam Albrecht were first off the court with an 8-1 victory against Joel Hunter and Dent Law.
     Of the four unfinished singles matches, Xavier led in three of them.
     Coastal Georgia finished 11-7.
     The shutout victory was Xavier's second in 13 dual matches at nationals. The other was 5-0 against Point Loma Nazarene in the 2012 round of 16.
     Thursday's dual will be a rematch of March 30, when Vanguard won 6-3 at Costa Mesa, Calif. The Lions are 2-0 all-time at nationals against Xavier, winning 5-3 in the 2011 round of 16 and 5-2 in the 2013 quarterfinals.
     All eight top-seeded men's teams advanced, including top-ranked and defending national champion Georgia Gwinnett. Vanguard defeated Bethany (Kan.) 5-0.
 
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Players Mentioned

Kevin Chaouat

Kevin Chaouat

6' 1"
Junior
1L
Tushar Mandlekar

Tushar Mandlekar

5' 11"
Sophomore
1L
Nikita Soifer

Nikita Soifer

6' 0"
Senior
2L
Adam Albrecht

Adam Albrecht

6' 1"
Sophomore
1L
Kyle Montrel

Kyle Montrel

6' 0"
Junior
2L
Manav Chakma

Manav Chakma

5' 11"
Junior
HS

Players Mentioned

Kevin Chaouat

Kevin Chaouat

6' 1"
Junior
1L
Tushar Mandlekar

Tushar Mandlekar

5' 11"
Sophomore
1L
Nikita Soifer

Nikita Soifer

6' 0"
Senior
2L
Adam Albrecht

Adam Albrecht

6' 1"
Sophomore
1L
Kyle Montrel

Kyle Montrel

6' 0"
Junior
2L
Manav Chakma

Manav Chakma

5' 11"
Junior
HS