NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana dropped only one match Sunday in victories against city rival Loyola at XULA Tennis Center. The Gold Nuggets won 7-0, and the Gold Rush won 7-1.
     Both XULA teams are ranked third in the NAIA. Loyola's women are ranked 21st, and its men are 28th and among "others receiving votes."
     Both XULA teams will have breaks of more than a week before their next competitions. The Gold Nuggets (2-2) will travel to Baton Rouge, La., to play Grambling at 3 p.m. Feb. 20 at a neutral site: Southern University. The Gold Rush (1-1) will visit the University of New Orleans at 4 p.m. Feb. 22.
     Mariia Borodii, Charlene Goreau, Angela Charles-Alfred and Farah Baklouti won in doubles and singles for the Gold Nuggets. Goreau dropped just one game in the dual; she and Lacee Ancar defeated Nadja Ochsner and Chandler Harmon 8-0 at No. 2 doubles, then Goreau beat Chandler Harmon 6-0, 6-1 at No. 2 singles. Borodii clinched on the first singles court with a 6-1, 6-2 victory against Koral Martinez.
     Winning in doubles and singles for the Gold Rush were Santiago Perez, Shaikh Abdullah. Gabriel Niculescu and Pierre Andrieu. The doubles teams of Perez and Abdullah on court one and Niculescu and Samir Chikhaoui on court three rallied after trailing 2-1. Niculescu and Andrieu both won 6-1, 6-1 in singles.
     Perez clinched with a 6-0, 6-1 victory against Galileo Cabrales on the first singles court.
     XULA's Chris Anders lost 9-7 a year ago to Loyola's Alexander DePascual in doubles; both had different partners in 2018. This time Anders and Andrieu built a 5-0 lead before emerging with an 8-6 victory against DePascual and Samuel Marin.
     Three singles matches were not completed because of rain. Both Loyola teams are 2-2.
     "Today was a better day for the Nuggets," said XULA coach Alan Green, reflecting on his Nuggets' 4-3 loss at UNO. "We did much better on all the things we struggled with yesterday. It was a good day for them. The guys played well in doubles, and we had some good performances in singles. I like the togetherness of our teams, and I am looking forward to the rest of this season."