NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana,
led by senior-day honoree
Charlene Goreau, rolled to an 8-1 women's tennis victory
Sunday against LSU-Alexandria.
The Gold Nuggets (15-4), ranked third in the NAIA,
won for the 13th time in their last 14 matches.
They are 9-0 this season against ranked opponents, 5-0 against top-10s.
The ninth-ranked Generals (5-4) lost their third straight.
They're 0-2 this season against XULA, 0-5 over the last two years.
Goreau,
Angela Charles-Alfred,
Farah Baklouti and
Yi Chen Pao
won in doubles and singles. Goreau and Charles-Alfred led off a sweep
of doubles with an 8-2 victory against Marie Cool and Carolina Guerrero on the first court.
Goreau defeated Miljana Milojevic 6-1, 6-4 at No. 1 singles.
Charles-Alfred clinched with a 6-1, 6-3 victory at No. 3 singles
against Niamh Packer.
Baklouti and
Lacee Ancar defeated Packer and Milojevic 8-3 on the third doubles court.
Baklouti beat Cool 6-0, 6-1 at No. 4 singles.
Pao and
Mariia Borodii defeated Patricia Perez and Patricia Martinez Molina 8-6 at No. 2 doubles,
and Pao defeated Martinez Molina 6-3, 6-3 on the fifth singles court.
Also winning for XULA was
Angelica De Vincenzis in a 6-2, 6-1 decision
against Guerrero at No. 6 singles.
LSUA's only point came at No. 2 singles. Perez gave All-American
Mariia Borodii a rare defeat: 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (14-12). Both players saved match points during the super-tiebreaker.
Goreau, the Gold Nuggets' only senior and a three-time first-team NAIA
All-American, was honored in a prematch ceremony.
"Charlene is the most decorated tennis player in the history of the Nuggets,"
16th-year XULA head coach
Alan Green said. "I expect her to make All-America again next month."
It was XULA's final home match of the season.
The Gold Nuggets finished 7-1 at home and won 13 of their last 14 at XULA Tennis Center.
XULA's men concluded their home schedule Saturday with a 5-4 victory against No. 6 William Carey.
The Gold Rush were 7-0 at home this season.
The Gold Nuggets will play second-ranked Keiser on April 19 —
one week from Friday — in Pensacola, Fla. The next NAIA coaches polls for women and men will be
announced Tuesday.