#7 Brenau Upsets #3 Xavier 5-4

In a battle of top-ranked NAIA teams, the #7 Brenau tennis team edged #3 Xavier (La.) University 5-4 in Mobile, Alabama on Monday.

The team of Nathalia Bolivar and Kelley Cohron started the match with an 8-1 win at #3 doubles, while Paula Rives and Fatyha Berjane took a second match at #2 doubles to give the Golden Tigers a 2-1 edge going into singles matches.

In singles play, Maria Perdomo cruised to a 6-0, 6-1 win at #2 singles to make the match 3-1, but Xavier rallied at #1 and #6 singles to even the matchat 4-4.

In the deciding match, freshman Patricia Recalde won her first set 7-5, but Xavier's Jana Van der Walt rallied to take the second set 4-6. In the final set, Recalde edged out her opponent with a deciding 7-6 win to complete the upset.

"This was a big win this afternoon for the team," said head coach Andre Ferreira. "Xavier has a very tough squad and our team really stepped up. It was a true team effort. The match was extremely close and it came down to one court where freshman Patricia Recalde played like an upperclassman to clinch the win."

Brenau (5-2 overall, 4-0 SSAC) next hosts NCAA Division II Georgia College and State University at 2 pm on Thursday in Gainesville.

Final Results:

No. 7 Brenau 5, No. 3 Xavier 4

Doubles:

1. Abbes/C. Nelson (XU) def. Perdomo/Recalde (BU) 8-4

2. Rives/Berjane (BU) def. Vernet/Flowers (XU) 9-7

3. Bolivar/Cohron (BU) def. B. Nelson/Bruins (XU) 8-1

Singles:

1. #1 Nour Abbes (XU) def. Fatyha Berjane (BU) 6-0, 4-6, 6-3

2. Maria Perdomo (BU) def. Carmen Nelson (XU) 6-0, 6-1

3. Brion Flowers (XU) def. Nathalia Bolivar (BU) 6-0, 6-4

4. Patricia Recalde (BU) def. Jana Van der Walt (XU) 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(1)

5. Paula Rives (BU) def. Brandi Nelson (XU) 6-4, 6-3

6. Sha'nel Bruins (XU) def. Kelley Cohron (BU) 7-6(2), 6-3

Order of finish: Doubles (3, 1, 2) Singles (2, 3, 5, 1, 6, 4*)