NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Mbali Langa was voted NAIA Women's Tennis National Player of the Week for March 17-23.
        Langa — a fifth-year player from Johannesburg, South Africa, and a transfer from Hillsborough (Fla.) Community College — is the first from XULA women's tennis to win the national award twice.
        Langa also won Red River Athletic Conference Player of the Week for the same period.
        Langa was 8-0 over four consecutive days at home, winning four times in singles and, with Asadah Ma'at, four times in doubles. XULA won 3-of-4 matches, including a 4-0 victory Saturday against NAIA No. 20 Our Lady of the Lake.
        The Gold Nuggets won eight NAIA national weekly awards in the last 14 seasons — four in the last five seasons.

XULA women's tennis — NAIA National Player of the Week recipients
selected by the NAIA
•  Mbali Langa, March 17-23, 2025
•  Mbali Langa, April 8-14, 2024
•  Kareemah Muhammad, April 11-17, 2022
•  Angela Charles-Alfred, March 15-21, 2021
•  Charlene Goreau, April 1-7, 2019
•  Caroline Vernet, March 30-April 5, 2015
•  Olivia West, March 25-31, 2013
•  Kourtney Howell, April 23-29, 2012



Mbali Langa photos by Yamlak Tsega