NEW ORLEANS — For the eighth time in his Xavier University of Louisiana tennis career, Nereo Suarez is the Red River Athletic Conference Player of the Week.
        Suarez is the RRAC's first 2025 winner of the award, which was announced Tuesday and covered matches from Feb. 24- March 2.
        Suarez — a junior from Santa Fe, Argentina, No. 37 in the ITA NAIA singles rankings and No. 12 in doubles — won twice at home in a 5-2 victory against city rival Loyola. Suarez defeated Remus Hebhang-Balan 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 at No. 1 singles, and he teamed with Jacobi Bain to beat Hebhang-Balan and Akhil Indrabalan 6-1 at No. 1 doubles.
        Suarez led the Gold Rush with four RRAC weekly awards in 2023 and three in 2024.
        XULA swept the tennis awards — Amira Bergaoui was the women's recipient.
        Head coach Alan Green added three road matches to this week's schedule for XULA's men and women (all times Central):
        •  1 p.m. Thursday at Bethel (McKenzie, Tenn./Dr. Deborah Thompson Tennis Complex)
        •  11 a.m. Friday at Tennessee State (Nashville/Hadley Park)
        •  Noon Saturday vs. Campbellsville (neutral site . . . Hendersonville, Tenn./Memorial Park)
        Visit the 2024-25 schedule for updates.

Nereo Suarez photo by Yamlak Tsega