Monday, 04/06/2009

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana is one of nine NAIA schools
with two or more singles players and two doubles teams in the
Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings announced Monday.
The Gold Nuggets' Anastesia Opata is 19th in singles -- up from 22nd in
the preseason -- and Angelina Callis, making the singles rankings for the
first time, is 49th.
In doubles Callis and Opata are 10th, and Yuliem Dominguez and Colleen
McArthur are 25th.
Opata is a junior from Lawrenceville, Ga., and Central Gwinnett High
School. Callis is a junior from Los Angeles and Dorchester (Mass.) High.
Dominguez is a senior from Destrehan, La., and Destrehan High School, and
McArthur is a junior from Marietta, Ga., and Pace Academy.
Opata is the second Xavier tennis player to make the top 20 in singles in
two seasons. The first was Dominique Bell in 2003-04 and 2006-07. Opata
also is the first Xavier player to reach the top 10 with two doubles
partners. She and Bell were No. 9 in 2007-08.
Dominguez and McArthur are the first Xavier doubles team to be ranked in
two seasons.
The ITA ranks 50 singles players and 25 doubles teams. This is the first
ranking of NAIA women since the Dec. 1 preseason list.
Xavier, 13-5 and No. 15 in the NAIA coaches poll, will play its next dual
match Thursday at Rome, Ga., against an opponent to be determined --
probably a ranked NAIA team. The next NAIA coaches poll will be announced
Tuesday.