Women win, men lose at Webber International
For immediate release . . . March 9, 2007

BABSON PARK, Fla. — Dominique Bell, playing despite the flu, won doubles and singles matches Friday and helped No. 9 Xavier University of Louisiana defeat No. 25 Webber International 7-2 in a matchup of ranked NAIA women's teams.

Xavier's men were not as fortunate. They lost to 7-2 to Webber International's men, who are ranked 20th.

Bell and Colleen McArthur defeated the Warriors' Sophie Alriksson and Maria Chalmers 8-5 at No. 2 doubles, then Bell squeaked past Asa Esaiasson 6-3, 1-6, 7-5 at No. 1 singles.

"Dominique had a really good match in singles," Xavier Coach Alan Green said. "She was battling the flu out there, and somehow she found the energy to pull her match out."

The Gold Nuggets' Alexandra Broussard and Jihanna Mughnee beat Brittany Pinson and Kammie Bilardello 8-5 at No. 3 doubles, then won their singles matches 6-0, 6-0. Mughnee defeated Pinson, and Broussard defeated Bilardello.
Xavier (7-1) rebounded from a loss at Nicholls State this past weekend and earned its first road victory since the opener Jan. 28 at Southern University. The Nuggets also snapped Webber's five-match win streak.

"We could've played better doubles but we didn't," Green said. "Our women were disappponted about that, and we took it out on (Webber) in the singles."

Green also expressed disappointment in the men's doubles results. His No. 1 team of Mario Myles and Terry Richardson needed a 7-5 tiebreaker to defeat Enrique Catter and Ronnie Sang 9-8, but the Gold Rush dropped the other two matches by a combined 16-3.

Webber (9-4) then won five of six singles matches, and Enrique Catter — No. 24 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's NAIA fall singles rankings — led the way with a 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 victory at No. 1 against Richardson. Cameron Knowles scored Xavier's only single point with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 victory at No. 4 against Pete Lund, who was 26th in the fall rankings.

"Webber jumped out on us in the doubles and took control of the match," Green said. "Their momentum carried over into the singles. They looked like they were getting tired in a couple of singles matches but they found ways to win them."

The victory was the eighth in a row for Webber. Xavier (5-4) has lost two straight and four of its last men's duals.

Xavier will remain in central Florida through the weekend for more matches against ranked NAIA opponents. The Nuggets and Rush will play Embry-Riddle's 11th-ranked women and fourth-ranked men at 10 a.m. Saturday, then play Berry's seventh-ranked women and eighth-ranked men at 10 a.m. Sunday. Both times are Eastern, one hour ahead of New Orleans.

Results:
Women
Xavier 7, Webber International 2
At Babson Park, Fla.
Singles
No. 1 — Dominique Bell (XU) d. Asa Esaiasson (WIU) 6-3, 1-6, 7-5.
No. 2 — Yuliem Dominguez (XU) d. Saana Sysimetsa (WIU) 6-2, 7-6 (7-4).
No. 3 — Angelina Callis (XU) d. Sophie Alriksson (WIU) 6-1, 6-3.
No. 4 — Maria Chalmers (WIU) d. Colleen McArthur (XU) 6-4, 6-3.
No. 5 — Jihanna Mughnee (XU) d. Brittany Pinson (WIU) 6-0, 6-0.
No. 6 — Alexandra Broussard (XU) d. Kammie Bilardello (WIU) 6-0, 6-0.

Doubles
No. 1 — Asa Esaiasson-Saana Sysimetsa (WIU) d. Angelina Callis-Yuliem Dominguez (XU) 8-2.
No. 2 — Dominique Bell-Colleen McArthur (XU) d. Sophie Alriksson-Maria Chalmers (WIU) 8-5.
No. 3 — Alexandra Broussard-Jihanna Mughnee (XU) d. Brittany Pinson-Kammie Bilardello (WIU) 8-5.

Records: Xavier 7-1, Webber International 6-5.

Men
Webber International 7, Xavier 2
At Babson Park, Fla.
Singles
No. 1 — Enrique Catter (WIU) d. Terry Richardson (XU) 7-6 (7-5), 7-5.
No. 2 — Christophe Bonadona (WIU) d. Mario Myles (XU) 7-5, 6-3.
No. 3 — Cody Wright (WIU) d. Miroslav Vukicevic (XU) 6-7 (7-2), 6-4, 6-1.
No. 4 — Cameron Knowles (XU) d. Pete Lund (WIU) 7-6 (7-4), 6-1.
No. 5 — Ronnie Sang (WIU) d. Vusumzi Kempele (XU) 5-7, 6-4, 1-0 (10-6).
No. 6 — Magnus Hansen (WIU) d. Thomas Fugate (XU) 6-3, 6-4.

Doubles
No. 1 — Mario Myles-Terry Richardson (XU) d. Enrique Catter-Ronnie Sang (WIU) 9-8 (7-5).
No. 2 — Christophe Bonadona-Cody Wright (WIU) d. Miroslav Vukicevic-Cameron Knowles (XU) 8-3.
No. 3 — Magnus Hansen-Radovan Mircic (WIU) d. Vusumzi Kempele-Thomas Fugate (XU) 8-0.

Records: Xavier 5-4, Webber International 9-4.