NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana women's tennis standout Angela Charles-Alfred has been selected NAIA National Player of the Week for March 15-21.
        The NAIA announced the award Wednesday.
        Charles-Alfred — a senior from Saint-Pierre, Martinique, a graduate of Lycee de Bellefontaine and a two-time Intercollegiate Tennis Association Cup NAIA national doubles champion — helped XULA go 5-0 on the road in four days, including three wins against ranked NAIA teams to win the Southern States Athletic Conference regular-season championship and XULA's first victory since 2004 against NCAA Division I Nicholls. Charles-Alfred was 5-0 in singles and, with Lailaa Bashir as her partner, 4-0 in doubles.
        "Angela, as well as everyone on the team, gutted out a very tough week of tennis," said Alan Green, XULA head coach and director of tennis. "It's amazing that we came out of that week without dropping a single point. I'm proud of the way Angela is handling different roles on the team and is doing everything the coaches ask of her. She's playing well right now."
        Charles-Alfred is XULA's fifth in women's tennis to win a weekly national award from the NAIA. Previous recipients were Charlene Goreau in 2019, Caroline Vernet in 2015, Olivia West in 2013 and Kourtney Howell in 2012. Additionally, Charles-Alfred and Bashir won NAIA National Player of the Week from the ITA in 2020.
        Next for XULA's women and men: 2 p.m. March 31 against Nicholls at XULA Tennis Center.