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NEW ORLEANS — For the fourth time in five seasons, Xavier University of Louisiana women's tennis is seeded third in the NAIA National Championship tournament at Mobile, Ala.
The NAIA announced Tuesday the pairings for the 24-team event, and the top eight teams earned byes. XULA will play 14th-seeded Union (Ky.) or 19th-seeded Westcliff in the round of 16 at 9 a.m. CDT May 17. Tournament venue for the 19th consecutive season will be Copeland-Cox Mobile Tennis Center (851 Gaillard Drive, zip code 36608, phone 251-208-5181). Admission is free for every round.
XULA (21-6) earned an automatic bid to nationals by winning 4-2 Saturday at home against LSU-Alexandria in the Red River Athletic Conference Tournament final. XULA was ranked fourth and LSUA third in the final coaches poll — that was published the day before the RRAC Tournament began — but the Gold Nuggets swapped positions with the Generals in the seeding for NAIA nationals.
Union (16-1) and Westcliff (13-3) will meet in the first round at 9 a.m. May 16.
This will be the XULA's 16th appearance at nationals — all in its last 18 seasons — and 11th in a row. The streak does not include 2020, when the tournament was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. XULA reached the national semifinals in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2021. The 2013 team was the first at XULA in any sport to reach the NAIA's national semifinals.
In order from the top, XULA's singles lineup will be
Kareemah Muhammad,
Mbali Langa,
Tianna Dixon,
Valaine Clarke,
Valentina Largacha and
McKenna Wheatley. The doubles teams will be Langa and Largacha at No. 1, Muhammad and Clarke at No. 2 and
Tianna Dixon and Wheatley at No. 3. Also on the roster are
Jalynn Balleste,
Lindsey Dixon,
Yi Chen Pao and
Ariana Stephens.
Also notable:
• XULA has a first-round bye for the sixth consecutive season.
• XULA is seeded fifth or higher for the seventh time in 10 seasons.
• XULA is seeded third or higher for the sixth time in 10 seasons.
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Alan Green reached 300 career victories as head coach of the Gold Nuggets when they won 4-1 at home April 1 against Willian Carey. This is Green's 20th season.
