Gold Nuggets climb to 15th in NAIA coaches poll
April 21, 2009

     NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana climbed one spot to 15th in the NAIA women's tennis coaches poll announced Tuesday.
     The Gold Nuggets (16-6) matched their highest ranking of the season. They were 15th in the March 24 poll before dropping to 16th on April 7.
     Xavier's men (14-6) fell five spots to 18th after losing twice to ranked teams during the past two weeks.
     The Nuggets have been in the NAIA top 25 for 33 consecutive polls dating to February 2004. The streak does not include 2006, when Xavier did not compete due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. The Rush has been in the top 25 for 16 consecutive polls dating to April 27.
     In the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's NAIA individual rankings, the doubles team of Steffen Giles-Osborn and Mike Green climbed from 20th to a tie for 19th on the men's list announced Thursday. But it was the only instance in which Xavier players gained ground.
     Terry Richardson moved from 20th to 22nd, Green from 31st to 32nd and Giles-Osborn from 42nd to a tie for 43rd in men's singles. In the women's rankings announced Monday, Anastesia Opata fell from 19th to 22nd in singles, and Angelina Callis was unranked after being 49th on April 6. The doubles team of Callis and Opata dropped from 10th to 11th, and Yuliem Dominguez and Colleen McArthur remained 25th.
     Both Xavier teams are top seeds in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference tournaments at Copeland-Cox Tennis Center at Mobile, Ala., and both will play semifinal matches at 3 p.m. Friday. The Gold Rush will play the winner of a 9 a.m. match between Spring Hill and Tougaloo, and the Gold Nuggets will play the winner of a 9 a.m. match between Belhaven and Tougaloo. Both championship matches are scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday.