Xavier's victories against Mobile are an inside job
February 13, 2009

Results:  Men    Women

     NEW ORLEANS — When Friday's late-afternoon showers reached the UNO Wow Café Tennis Center, the men's and women's duals between Xavier University of Louisiana and Mobile became a moving experience.
     The four teams packed their wet bags at 4:30, drove downtown to the Hilton Riverside — Xavier coach Alan Green planned for the weather and got a reservation — and took their duals indoors. By 5:30 the matches began, and approximately 4˝ hours later, Xavier had swept Mobile in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opener for both schools.
     The Gold Rush, ranked 15th in the NAIA coaches poll, won 6-0. The Gold Nuggets, ranked 18th, won 5-0. And the streaks continue — 46 consecutive GCAC regular-season dual-match victories for the XU women, 30 in a row for the men.
     "This was a good start in the conference for us," Green said. "The rain delay put a damper on the tempo of the match and flow. But when we got on the court, I was satisfied with what I saw from our teams."
     Xavier did not lose a set in either dual. In the women's match Alexandra Broussard and Melissa DeLoach accounted for three of the Nuggets' five points. They beat Jordin Wiggins and Alana McDaniel 8-1 at No. 3 doubles, then won their singles matches. Broussard beat Kari Williams 6-1, 6-0, and DeLoach defeated Elizabeth Lott 6-0, 6-0. That's a significant improvement for both Broussard and DeLoach, who combined to score one point in three duals against Mobile in 2008 and went 0-3 in doubles against the Lady Rams.
     Xavier won the men's dual just as comfortably. Mikhail Vaval led the way by scoring 1˝ points — he and Matthew Walker beat Guilherme Lorencon and Jesus Urmeneta 8-1 at No. 2 doubles, then Vaval defeated Gustavo Godoi 6-4, 6-3 at No. 3 singles. But the dual-clinching match was at No. 5 singles, where Cameron Knowles defeated Jesus Urmeneta 6-2, 6-3.
     The Gold Rush (2-1) won its second dual in a row, as did the Nuggets (2-2). Mobile's women are 0-2, and the men are 0-1.
     Saturday will be even busier for Xavier, which will travel to Jackson, Miss., for more GCAC duals — against Belhaven at 9 a.m. and Tougaloo at 1 p.m.