Xavier makes ITA men's rankings in singles, doubles
March 29, 2010

     NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana had one singles player and one doubles team in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's NAIA national men's rankings announced Friday.
     XU's Steffen Giles-Osborn is a career-high 21st in singles — his previous best was 42nd in 2009 — and the doubles team of Mario Myles and Mikhail Vaval is 20th.
     In the South Region rankings, Giles-Osborn is seventh in singles. Myles and Vaval are eighth in doubles, and Giles-Osborn and Hassan Abbas are 12th.
     No Xavier men were listed in the November preseason rankings.
     The release of the ITA's national women's rankings were delayed one week. Regional rankings were announced Friday, with Xavier's Anastesia Opata at No. 8 and Angelina Callis at No. 15 in singles — the same spots they held in the preseason. They moved up three places in doubles to No. 3.
     Giles-Osborn is a sophomore from Atlanta, Ga., and a graduate of Westlake High School. Myles is a senior from Stone Mountain, Ga., and a graduate of Redan High School. Vaval is a junior from New Orleans and a graduate of De La Salle High School. Abbas is a junior from Saltaire, England, and a graduate of Bingley Grammar School and Ventura (Calif.) College. Opata is a senior from Lawrenceville, Ga., and a graduate of Central Gwinnett High School, and Callis is a senior from Los Angeles and a graduate of Dorchester (Mass.) High School.
     Both Xavier teams began a four-match California trip this afternoon at Azusa Pacific.