Dominguez clinches Xavier sweep of Southern
January 27, 2008

Results: Men    Women

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Yuliem Dominguez defeated Southern's Kathryn Curtis 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 Sunday to clinch the Gold Nuggets' 5-4 dual-match victory at the University of New Orleans Wow Café Tennis Center.

Xavier's men defeated Southern 8-1.

Both Xavier teams are 1-1, and both Southern teams are 0-1.

The Lady Jaguars lost two of three doubles matches, then took a 3-2 lead when Gabrielle Marshall and Bethlehem Workeneh scored singles victories. Marshall defeated Melissa DeLoatch 6-2, 6-1 at No. 6, and Workeneh beat Alexandra Broussard 6-0, 6-2 at No. 4. But Xavier won three of the final four singles matches, with Dominguez rallying to beat Curtis at No. 3 in the final completed match.

"That's probably the best match Yuliem has played at Xavier," Nuggets Coach Alan Green said. "She hung tough. I told our women before the match that we'd have a dogfight with Southern. We were prepared to go the distance."

Xavier's men didn't need final-match heroics. The Gold Rush won two of three doubles matches, then swept all six singles matches. The Jaguars scored their only point when Marlon Gichie and Tyler Chin beat Matthew Walker and Mikhail Vaval-Desse 8-6 at No. 1 doubles.

Xavier's Vusumzi Kempele improved to 2-0 in singles and doubles. He teamed with Terry Richardson to beat Kashwayne Nelson and Elvis Espinal 8-3 at No. 3 doubles, then he defeated Nelson 6-3, 6-3 at No. 6 singles.

"Our men were outstanding," Green said. "They were ready to go. They played well throughout singles and doubles. They played as if they would not be denied."

Also improving to 2-0 in singles and doubles was the Nuggets' Anastesia Opata. The Washington State transfer teamed with NAIA All-American Dominique Bell to beat Janelle Mosley and Workeneh 8-1 at No. 1 doubles, then Opata beat Mosley 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1 singles.

It was the second consecutive year that Xavier, an NAIA member, defeated Southern's men and women in their openers. Southern is an NCAA Division I member.

Xavier will wait nearly three weeks for its next matches. The Rush and Nuggets will travel to Anaheim, Calif., for matches Feb. 15-17 with Concordia, Azusa Pacific, Vanguard and Fresno Pacific, all of whom are expected to appear in the first NAIA top 25 next week.