NEW ORLEANS — Rain washed out Sunday play in the USTA/ITA NAIA South Regional Championships at XU Tennis Center, postponing four championship matches and earning Xavier University of Louisiana's Sha'Nel Bruins a championship by default.
     Bruins was scheduled to play Georgia Gwinnett's Judith van Fraaijenhoven in the women's singles consolation final. But a lengthy heavy shower, starting about 25 minutes before their match, changed those plans.
     The other four washed-out title matches — main-draw matchups in men's and women's singles and doubles — were all-Georgia Gwinnett matchups. Instead of waiting for better conditions or moving the matches indoors, XU coach Alan Green, the tournament director, and GGC coach Chase Hodges agreed for the main-draw matches to be played at GGC this week. GGC defaulted the women's singles consolation final.
     Bruins won three matches Saturday, all by 8-2 scores, to reach the final.
     The postponed matches were top-seeded Jordan Cox against second-seeded Kevin Konfederak in men's singles, top-seeded Cox and Konfederak against Lachlan McPhee and Matias Hatem in doubles, top-seeded Valeria Podda against Alyona Vasilyeva in women's singles and second-seeded Podda and Helga Pinones against Vasilyeva and Chiara Di Salvo in doubles. Those winners will qualify for the USTA/ITA National Small College Championships at Sumter, S.C., from Oct. 15-18. Consolation champions such as Bruins do not qualify.
     Next for Xavier's men and women will be their final fall tournament, the Big Easy Classic at the University of New Orleans Oct. 23-24. Xavier will begin its schedule of dual matches in late January.