Sunday, 02/07/2010

MOBILE, Ala. -- One streak continued and another ended Saturday when the Xavier University of Louisiana tennis teams played Mobile.
The XU men rolled to a 9-0 decision over the Rams for their first victory of the season and their 38th consecutive victory in a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference dual match. But the Gold Nuggets' 54-dual win streak in the GCAC regular season ended when Mobile's women won 5-4.
It was the first GCAC regular-season loss for the Xavier women since a 5-4 home loss to Spring Hill on April 13, 2002.
XU's men were dominant, winning every set and 96 of 114 games. Mikhail Vaval, Sean Richardson and Cameron Knowles all won 6-0, 6-0 in singles, and Richardson and Knowles teamed for an 8-0 doubles victory.
But it was a much more difficult dual for the Nuggets, who were forced to default two matches because they had only five available players. NAIA All-Americans Anastesia Opata and Angelina Callis won their singles and doubles matches easily, but the Nuggets' only other point came from Melissa DeLoach's victory at No. 5 singles.
Mobile took a 2-1 lead into singles when Rachel Hartley and Zelie Pfeiffer defeated XU's Carmen Nelson and Colleen McArthur 9-8 (7-4) at No. 2 doubles. Pfeiffer defeated McArthur 6-3, 6-1 at No. 4 singles in the final match to conclude.
Both Mobile teams were playing their season openers. Xavier's men are 1-1 overall and 1-0 in the GCAC, and the women are 1-2 and 1-1. Both Xavier teams were to remain in Mobile and play GCAC opponent Spring Hill at 2 p.m. Saturday.