Xavier again sweeps GCAC weekly tennis awards
March 3, 2009

     NEW ORLEANS — For the second straight week Xavier University of Louisiana swept the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week tennis awards. This time it was Terry Richardson on the men's side and Anastesia Opata on the women's.
     Richardson, a senior from Ellenwood, Ga., won both his matches as Xavier defeated Grambling 7-2 for its second victory of the season against an NCAA Division I opponent.
     Richardson is 8-4 in singles and 7-2 in doubles in 2008-09 and shares the team lead in victories in both categories.
     Opata, a junior from Lawrenceville, Ga., won matches at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles in a 9-0 victory over Grambling. It was the Gold Nuggets' seventh consecutive victory, their longest winning streak in three seasons, and their second of the year against a Division I opponent.
     Opata is 8-4 in singles and 7-1 in doubles in 2008-09 and 6-0 in singles and 6-0 in doubles during the Nuggets' current winning streak.
     Both Xavier teams are 7-2 and will visit the University of New Orleans for 4 p.m. duals Friday. The Rush and Nuggets will play Jackson State at 11 a.m. Sunday at the same venue, UNO Wow Café Tennis Center. Xavier and Jackson State mutually pushed back their match by one day.