PENSACOLA, Fla. — The higher-ranked NAIA tennis team won both times Friday. The No. 2 Keiser women defeated No. 3 Xavier University of Louisiana 7-2, and the No. 6 Keiser men squeezed past the No. 7 Gold Rush 5-4.
     The Gold Nuggets (16-5) and Gold Rush (14-7) will conclude the regular season in 10 a.m. Saturday duals at West Florida, whose men are ranked eighth and women 15th in NCAA Division II. Venue will be the same as Friday's: Ralph "Skeeter" Carson Complex.
     The Gold Nuggets' highlights were an 8-0 victory for Charlene Goreau and Angela Charles-Alfred on the first court against Sarah Schaerer and Anais Gabriel — Schaerer and Gabriel are both nationally ranked in doubles, but not with each other — and Mariia Borodii's 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 singles victory against Dugleisy Linarez. But XULA dropped 36-of-42 singles games on courts 4-6.
     It was just the second loss in the Gold Nuggets' last 23 dual matches against top-25 opponents — their first in 11 matches this season. Prior to Friday, XULA had won 14 of its last 15 dual matches and 32 of its last 37 overall.
     The XULA men won 1-of-3 singles matches that went three sets. Julian Turosienski clinched for the Seahawks with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 victory against Pierre Andrieu at No. 5. Ghassan Alansi, who scored in two events at the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Track and Field Championships Wednesday and Thursday, had enough left in his tank to rally past 43rd-ranked Geronimo Barrios 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
     XULA freshman Santiago Perez, ranked No. 2 nationally in singles, won his 15th consecutive decision when he beat Lorenzo Villaume 7-6 (7-2), 6-1.
     The Gold Rush lost 5-4 for the fourth time this season — all occurred against top-25 opponents.
     Keiser's men are 14-6, and its women are 16-4. Both Keiser teams were NAIA national runners-up last season.