Results
ALEXANDRIA, La. — LSU-Alexandria defeated
Xavier University of Louisiana 6-3 Saturday in women's tennis to end the
Gold Nuggets' 21-dual win streak against unranked NAIA opponents.
Xavier (1-2), ranked 11th, had not lost to an unranked
NAIA opponent since a 5-0 defeat against Milligan in the semifinals of an unaffiliated
group tournament on April 30, 2011.
Jana van der Walt and
Tess Guarino, at No. 2 doubles, gave the Gold Nuggets
their only lead when they defeated Liz Arens and Ariadna Cabezas 8-4
in the first completed match. The Generals (3-3), a 2015 NAIA National
Championship qualifier, won the other two doubles
matches and 4-of-6 in singles.
Ariadna Cabezas clinched for LSUA with a 7-5, 6-4
victory against
Vashni Balleste at the sixth singles flight. Winning singles
matches for Xavier were
Brandi Nelson, 6-3, 6-3 against Betsabet Vasquez at No. 3,
and
Sha'Nel Bruins, 6-1, 6-0 against Paula Gordilla at No. 4.
Nelson is 3-0 in singles during the spring semester.
Bruins played about 25 miles from her hometown of Colfax, La. Guarino's victory
was her first since enrolling at Xavier in January.
"LSUA played well and deserved to win," XU coach
Alan Green
said. "We have a lot of work to do and a long way to go."
Xavier's women and men will travel to Thibodaux, La.,
Sunday to play NCAA Division I's Nicholls State at 1 p.m. The starting time of those duals was
pushed back two hours.