NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana women's tennis, the Red River Athletic Conference Tournament champion in 2024 and 2023, will begin its defense in an 8 a.m. CDT Thursday quarterfinal match against Texas A&M-Texarkana at Blossom Tennis Center in San Antonio, Texas.
        Tournament winner will earn an automatic bid to NAIA nationals May 13-17 at Mobile, Ala.
        The Gold Nuggets defeated LSU-Alexandria in the championship round each of the last two seasons, including 4-0 at Blossom in 2024.
        Nine teams are entered. Joining XULA, TAMUT and LSUA are full-time members Our Lady of the Lake (the host), Louisiana Christian and LSU-Shreveport and affiliate members Dillard, Northern New Mexico and Rust.
        There were an RRAC-record four women's tennis teams in the April 9 NAIA coaches poll: No. 9 LSUA, No. 12 XULA, No. 20 OLLU and No. 25 LSUS. Dillard was No. 13, and Louisiana Christian headed the list of "others receiving votes" at 26th.
        In the ITA NAIA rankings of April 10, XULA's Amira Bergaoui was fifth and McKenna Wheatley 64th in singles. In doubles, Wheatley and Mbali Langa were No. 1 — they've been first in all four rankings of 2024-25 — and Bergaoui and Hana Moss were 42nd.
        The Gold Nuggets were 15th in the ITA computer-generated NAIA team rankings.
        The XULA women seek an 18th appearance at nationals — all in their last 20 seasons — and 13th in a row.