Xavier and LSU Alexandria finish their seasons in the NAIA Women's Tennis National Championship Quarterfinal Round

WACO, Texas (May 13, 2026) – No. 5-ranked Xavier University of Louisiana and No. 7-ranked LSU Alexandria, both from the Red River Athletic Conference, had first-round byes. Both teams lost in the quarterfinal round of the 45th Annual UTR Sports NAIA Women's Tennis National Championship. The event is being held at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile, Ala., through May 16. It has been hosted there for 22 consecutive years (except for 2020, when it was canceled due to COVID-19).

 

In addition to Xavier and LSU Alexandria, Louisiana Christian University and Our Lady of the Lake University (Texas) represented the RRAC, but both were eliminated earlier in the week, concluding their seasons.

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Xavier University of Louisiana defeated SCAD Atlanta (Ga.) 4-3. The Gold Nuggets are 19-7 and seeded fifth. They won four singles matches, erased a 3-1 deficit, and advanced to the quarterfinals for the eighth consecutive time. Sophomore Valeria Ortega trailed 5-2 in a third-set tiebreaker but defeated Manuella Eloundou Nga 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) at No. 4. SCAD Atlanta's Shalimar Talbi and Adrianna Kluska won 6-2 against fourth-ranked McKenna Wheatley and Maja Brnic. SCAD Atlanta, seeded 12th, finished 10-4.

 

 

No. 1 singles: Shalimar Talbi (SCAD) d. Maja Brnic (XULA), 1-6, 2-6
No. 2 singles: McKenna Wheatley (XULA) d. Anastasija Stojanovic (SCAD), 5-7, 6-3, 6-1
No. 3 singles: Ana Sabikova (XULA) d. Carmine Becoude (SCAD), 6-4, 6-4
No. 4 singles: Valeria Ortega (XULA) d. Manuella Eloundou (SCAD), 6-7, 6-3, 7-6
No. 5 singles: Adrianna Kluska (SCAD) d. Anais Yakan (XULA), 6-1, 6-3
No. 6 singles: Asadah Ma'at (XULA) d. Joann Leijten (SCAD), 6-0, 6-0.

No. 1 doubles: Kluska and Talbi (SCAD) d. Wheatley and Brnic (XULA), 6-2
No. 2 doubles: Leijten and Stella De Vera (SCAD) d. Makai Sales and Sabikova (XULA), 5-3
No.3 doubles: Becoude and Eloundou (SCAD) d. Ma'at and Ortega (XULA), 6-4

 

In the quarterfinals, No. 5 seed Xavier faced No. 4 seed William Carey (Miss.), losing 4-2. The match marked the Gold Nuggets' eighth consecutive quarterfinal appearance and ended their season at 19-8. William Carey earned an 18th straight victory and a third season win over Xavier, with Isabella Lechuga clinching at No. 3 (6-3, 6-4 vs. Ana Sabikova).

 

 

 

No. 1 singles: Victoria Vieten (WC) d. Maja Brnic (XULA), 6-2, 6-2
No. 2 singles: JiAn Kang (WC) d. McKenna Wheatley (XULA), 6-2, 6-2
No. 3 singles: Isabella Lechuga (WC) d. Ana Sabikova (XULA), 6-3, 6-4
No. 4 singles: Valeria Ortega (XULA) d. Malak Abarkane (WC), 6-3, 6-3
No. 5 singles: Tiffany Chang (WC) d. Anais Yakan (XULA), 6-2, 6-0
No. 6 singles: Asadah Ma'at (XULA) vs. Li-Hsien Lin (WC), 2-6, 6-3, 3-2

No. 1 doubles: Wheatley and Brnic (XULA) d. Lechuga and Vieten (WC), 7-5
No. 2 doubles: Chang and Ma'at (WC) d. Makai Sales and Sabikova (XULA), 6-2
No.3 doubles: Ma'at and Ortega (XULA) d. Abarkane and Lin (WC), 6-3

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Seventh-seed LSU Alexandria trailed Marian (Ind.) 3-2 but won twice in three sets to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2022 and the fifth time overall. Lucie Ivanova rallied 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 at No. 3 against Michelle Irigoyen to tie the match. Freshman Esthella Valentina Gonzalez Saiza then clinched the team victory with a 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 win over Paloma Caceres Villalba at No. 6 singles. Marian (Ind.), the No. 10 seed, finished the season 17-7.

 

 

 

No. 1 singles: Nahia Echaide (LSUA) d. Yasmine Imamniyazova (Marian), 6-4. 6-4
No. 2 singles: Ana Lopez Torres (Marian) d. Isabella Stuurman (LSUA), 4-6, 6-7, 3-7
No. 3 singles: Lucie Ivanova (LSUA) d. Michelle Irigoyen (Marian), 2-6, 7-5, 6-2
No. 4 singles: Ana Barbosa (Marian) d. Joline Roesch (LSUA), 6-3, 6-2
No. 5 singles: Ekaterina Orlova (LSUA) d. Liliane Alinquant (Marian), 6-2, 6-4
No. 6 singles: Esthella Valentina Gonzalez Saiza (LSUA) d. Paloma Cáceres, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4

No. 1 doubles: Echaide and Ivanova (LSUA) d. Imamniyazova and Torres (Marian), 6-1
No. 2 doubles: Irigoyen and Jimena Rivera Flores (Marian) d. Orlova and Valeria Diaz, 6-1
No. 3 doubles: Alinquant and Barbosa (Marian) d. Saiza and Stuurman (LSUA) 6-1

 

In the quarterfinals, LSUA fell to second-seed Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 4-2. The Generals finish their season with a 10-5 record.

 

 

 

No. 1 singles: Nahia Echaide (LSUA) d. Mayra Gisone (LW) 6-4, 6-4
No. 2 singles: Isabella Stuurman (LSUA) d. Martina Cortal (LW) 6-3, 6-4
No. 3 singles: Mariangeles Mateu (LW) d. Lucie Ivanova (LSUA), 6-1, 3-6, 7-6, 7-0
No. 4 singles: Javiera Verdugo (LW) d. Joline Roesch (LSUA),6-1, 6-4
No. 5 singles: Blanca Trillo Puta da Viega (LW) d. Ekaterina Orlova (LSUA, 6-2, 6-2
No. 6 singles: Hang Nguyen (LW) d. Esthella Valentina Gonzalez Saiza (LSUA), 7-5, 5-6, UF

No. 1 doubles: Verdigo and Heyka Rodriguez (LW) de. Echaide and Ivanova (LSUA), 6-2
No. 2 doubles: Cortal and Gisone (LW) d. Orlova and Valeria Diaz, 4-2 (UF)
No. 3 doubles: da Viega and Mateu d. Saiza and Stuurman 6-4

 

The RRAC congratulates our tennis teams for representing the conference with grace and determination. Congratulations to both Xavier Head Coach Alan Green and LSUA Head Coach Melinda Descant and their teams for a terrific season!