Box Score NEW ORLEANS – In a big top-10 NAIA matchup at the XULA Tennis Center on Tuesday, the No. 8 Loyola Wolf Pack women's tennis team took down No. 4 Xavier, 5-2.
After tackling an opening section of the schedule that featured an NCAA Division-I opponent and five ranked NAIA teams, Loyola improved to an impressive 5-1 on the season with the win. This is the Wolf Pack women's team's second win against the Gold Nuggets under coach Matt Llewellyn, with the Pack previously getting a win in 2022.
Xavier started out the match with a court 1 doubles win, but Loyola played well on the other two doubles courts. Adele Fereres and Micaela Ponce won 6-3 in their first match at No. 2 doubles. The doubles point then came down to court 3, where Juliette Finch and Avery Frierson were playing in their first doubles contest of the spring.
Finch and Frierson were ahead for most of their doubles match, but Xavier was able to force a tiebreak. In the tiebreak, the Wolf Pack team trailed 4-1, but they rallied back to win six of the next seven points and take the match, securing the first point for the Pack.
In singles, Fereres continued playing well on court 5, only dropping two total games in a 6-2, 6-0 win. The Gold Nuggets got a win on court 4, but the Wolf Pack picked up three consecutive singles victories to clinch the match victory.
Chloe Henderson got off to a great start in her match on court 2, leading 5-0 in the first set before eventually winning in straight sets. Ponce also cruised to a straight-sets win on court 3, 6-3, 6-4 to clinch the match win for the Pack, Shortly after, Avery Frierson closed out her match on court 6, earning a 7-5, 6-3 result.
Next up on the schedule, the Pack will open Southern States Athletic Conference competition with the SSAC Roundup in Montgomery, Ala. Loyola will play Blue Mountain and Mobile, both of which are receiving votes in the NAIA Top 25, on the weekend of March 14-15.
"I'm very proud of this team and their leadership. They executed our system very well. It's always great to beat a rival, but we are focusing on us this season. When we apply our core values and operate within our system we are a tough team to beat. That's what we want to bring every match.
"We want to enjoy this season and the times we can share together. These moments are special because of the work they put in. We love beating Xavier. They are always tough to play. So we're super proud of our effort today."
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Results
No. 8 Loyola – 5
No. 4 Xavier – 2
Doubles
1. #1 Langa/Wheatley (XULA) def. Carpenter/Henderson (LOYNO) 6-2
2. Fereres/Ponce (LOYNO) def. Bergaoui/Ma'at (XULA) 6-3
3. Finch/Frierson (LOYNO) def. LeSure/Moss (XULA) 7-6 (7-5)
Order of finish: 1, 2, 3
Singles
1. #9 Amira Bergaoui (XULA) def. #7 Lucy Carpenter (LOYNO) 2-6, 6-4, 6-1
2. Chloe Henderson (LOYNO) def. Mbali Langa (XULA) 7-5, 6-0
3. Micaela Ponce (LOYNO) def. McKenna Wheatley (XULA) 6-3, 6-4
4. Hana Moss (XULA) def. Avrora Volkova (LOYNO) 6-1, 7-6 (7-5)
5. Adele Fereres (LOYNO) def. Sydney Green (XULA) 6-2, 6-0
6. Avery Frierson (LOYNO) def. Asadah Ma'at (XULA) 7-5, 6-3
Order of finish: 5, 4, 2, 3, 6, 1
