Thursday, 01/14/2010

   NEW ORLEANS — Another trip to California to face some of the NAIA's best awaits the Xavier University of Louisiana men's and women's tennis teams in 2010.
     Alan Green, in his seventh season as coach of the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets, announced the spring portion of the schedules Wednesday.
     It will be the second time in three seasons that Xavier travels to California. The Rush and Nuggets will play Azusa Pacific, Fresno Pacific, Vanguard and Concordia on consecutive days starting March 29. Among the women's teams, Fresno Pacific was the NAIA runner-up a year ago, with Concordia reaching the semifinals, Vanguard the quarterfinals and Azusa the second round. Among the men Fresno Pacific was the 2009 NAIA champion, and Azusa, Concordia and Vanguard all reached the quarterfinals.
     The first dual match for each XU squad will be Jan. 30 at NCAA Division I member Nicholls State. The Nuggets will play four matches against NCAA D-I opponents (also McNeese State, Southern and New Orleans) and the Rush will play six (also Jackson State, Lamar, Texas-Pan American, Prairie View and New Orleans).
     Xavier could play more ranked NAIA opponents March 12-14 in the AUM Spring Invitational at Montgomery, Ala. Host Auburn Montgomery has won the past six NAIA women's championships, and AUM's men won five of the past eight titles.
     Both Xavier teams will defend Gulf Coast Athletic Conference titles against an expanded GCAC schedule which includes new women's programs at Loyola, William Carey and LSU-Shreveport and a new men's program at William Carey. The Nuggets and Rush will play the majority of their GCAC matches before March 1, and Xavier will be the host of the GCAC Tournament on April 23-24 at a site to be announced.
     For the third straight year the University of New Orleans Tennis Center will be the site of nearly all the Xavier home matches. The first men's home matches will be Feb. 13 against GCAC opponents Belhaven and Tougaloo, and the first women's home match will be Feb. 7 against McNeese.
     Xavier has won six GCAC women's team championships the past eight years and has a 53-match GCAC regular-season winning streak dating to 2002. Xavier's men have won four consecutive GCAC titles in five years and have a 37-match GCAC regular-season winning streak dating to 2004. Both XU teams reached the second round of the NAIA National Championship in 2009.

2010 Xavier Women's Tennis Schedule
click here for schedule with site details
January
30 Saturday: at Nicholls State, 1 p.m.
31 Sunday: • at Loyola, noon (2)

February
6 Saturday: • at Mobile, 10 a.m.
6 Saturday: • at Spring Hill, 2 p.m.
7 Sunday: McNEESE STATE, noon (1)
12 Friday: • LOYOLA, 2 p.m. (2)
13 Saturday: • BELHAVEN, 10 a.m. (1)
13 Saturday: • TOUGALOO, 2 p.m. (1)
20 Saturday: • at Tougaloo, 10 a.m.
20 Saturday: • at Belhaven, 2 p.m.
27 Saturday: • WILLIAM CAREY, 10 a.m. (1)

March
5 Friday: • at William Carey, 5 p.m.
7 Sunday: • at LSU-Shreveport, 9 a.m.
12 Friday-14 Sunday: at AUM Spring Invitational, Montgomery, Ala.
20 Saturday: • MOBILE, 9 a.m. (1)
20 Saturday: • SPRING HILL, 2 p.m. (1)
29 Monday: Azusa Pacific, 3:30 p.m. (1:30 p.m. PDT)
30 Tuesday: Fresno Pacific at Costa Mesa, Calif., 4 p.m. (2 p.m. PDT)
31 Wednesday: at Vanguard, 3 p.m. (1 p.m. PDT)

April
1 Thursday: at Concordia (Calif.), noon (10 a.m. PDT)
10 Saturday: at Southern, 11 a.m.
17 Saturday: at New Orleans, noon (1)
18 Sunday: • LSU-SHREVEPORT, 10 a.m. (1)
23 Friday-24 Saturday: GULF COAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT

May
18 Tuesday-22 Saturday: NAIA National Championship at Mobile, Ala.

Home matches in BOLD TYPE
• Gulf Coast Athletic Conference match
All times are Central except where noted
(1) at University of New Orleans Tennis Center
(2) at Tulane's Goldring Stadium
               2010 Xavier Men's Tennis Schedule
click here for schedule with site details
January
30 Saturday: at Nicholls State, 1 p.m.

February
6 Saturday: • at Mobile, 10 a.m.
6 Saturday: • at Spring Hill, 2 p.m.
13 Saturday: • BELHAVEN, 10 a.m. (1)
13 Saturday: • TOUGALOO, 2 p.m. (1)
20 Saturday: • at Tougaloo, 10 a.m.
20 Saturday: • at Belhaven, 2 p.m.
21 Sunday: at Jackson State, noon
27 Saturday: • WILLIAM CAREY, 10 a.m. (1)

March
5 Friday: • at William Carey, 5 p.m.
10 Wednesday: LAMAR, 4 p.m. (1)
12 Friday-14 Sunday: at AUM Spring Invitational, Montgomery, Ala.
20 Saturday: • MOBILE, 9 a.m. (1)
20 Saturday: • SPRING HILL, 2 p.m. (1)
21 Sunday: TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN, 10 a.m. (1)
29 Monday: Azusa Pacific, 3:30 p.m. (1:30 p.m. PDT)
30 Tuesday: Fresno Pacific at Costa Mesa, Calif., 4 p.m. (2 p.m. PDT)
31 Wednesday: at Vanguard, 3 p.m. (1 p.m. PDT)

April
1 Thursday: at Concordia (Calif.), noon (10 a.m. PDT)
14 Wednesday: Prairie View at Alexandria, La., 10 a.m.
17 Saturday: at New Orleans, noon (1)
23 Friday-24 Saturday: GULF COAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT

May
18 Tuesday-22 Saturday: NAIA National Championship at Mobile, Ala.

Home matches in BOLD TYPE
• Gulf Coast Athletic Conference match
All times are Central except where noted
(1) at University of New Orleans Tennis Center