XULA Women's Tennis got two first-place votes and finished in a respectable second-place in the Southern States Athletic Conference Preseason Poll, announced Tuesday. 

The Gold Nuggets, who return all but one key player from a team that reached the national quarterfinals last season, finished just four points behind first-place William Carey, another national power. 

In-city rival Loyola was the third-place team, with the complete poll consisting of: 

1. William Carey - 47 (5)
2. Xavier - 43 (2)
3. Loyola - 36
4. Mobile - 28
5. UT Southern - 17
6. Blue Mountain - 15
7. Abraham Baldwin - 10

Xavier's women will begin their Fall 2026 campaign with a visit to Atlanta and the HBCU National Championships, which is slated for Sept. 17-20 at the South Fulton Tennis Center.