NAIA's announcement story
NEW ORLEANS — For the fifth time
in the last six selections, Xavier University of Louisiana women's tennis
has two first-team All-Americans on the NAIA's committee-selected team.
The Gold Nuggets'
Mbali Langa and
Amira Bergaoui are
on the first team, and teammate
Kyra Akinnibi made the second team.
Those three helped lead the Gold Nuggets
to a 23-6 record — a school mark for victories in a season —
the Red River Athletic Conference Tournament championship, the
semifinals of NAIA nationals, No. 3 in NAIA final coaches poll and the
ITA NAIA final computer rankings, and runner-up at ITA NAIA indoor nationals.
Langa became the seventh Gold Nugget
to earn first-team All-America twice on the NAIA's committee-selected team.
Bergaoui is the Gold Nuggets' fourth freshman to earn first-team All-America.
Akinnibi is NAIA All-America for the second time,
both on the second team.
Langa, a senior from Johannesburg, South Africa,
was 15-11 in singles and 26-6 in doubles during the 2023-24 season.
She teamed with
McKenna Wheatley to win three fall doubles championships,
including HBCU nationals and the ITA NAIA Gulf regional.
Bergaoui, from Tunis, Tunisia, enrolled
at XULA in January and was 18-2 in singles and 12-10 in doubles. She
won her first 17 singles decisions against NAIA opponents.
Akinnibi, a fifth-year player from London, England,
rejoined XULA in January and was 19-2 in singles and 12-9 in doubles.
She was RRAC Tournament MVP and team MVP as selected by her coaches.
Akinnibi won 15 consecutive singles decisions March 3-May 16, including XULA's first two matches at NAIA nationals.
XULA, national champion Georgia Gwinnett and national runner-up Keiser were
the only teams with multiple first-team All-Americans.
