LAKELAND, Fla. -- A comeback bid on Monday morning was cut short as the No. 4 Southeastern fell to No. 6 Xavier (La.) 5-2.
The Gold Nuggets got right after it, securing a win over No. 43 Isabella Bolivar Garces and Irene Parigi fell 6-1 on flight two. No. 44 Leonie Schondelmaier and Aurora Compagnucci evened things up with a 6-3 win over Valeria Ortega and Asadah Ma'at on flight three. But it was the NAIA No. 3 doubles team of Maja Brnic and McKenna Wheatley that collected the double point for Xavier, defeating Martina Picardi and Alessia Ciampi on flight one, 7-6 (7-1)
Trailing 1-0, Southeastern looked to respond in singles.
No. 59 Schondelmaier was first to finish, cruising past Ortega 6-2, 6-0 on line four to tie the match.
No. 8 Brnic came next on line one, defeating No. 28 Picardi, 6-3, 6-3. Soon after, No. 58 Ciampi dropped a 6-4, 6-3 decision to No. 14 Sabikova on line three.
No. 33 Parigi gave Southeastern a flicker of hope, bringing the match within one on court five, defeating Anais Yakan on line five, 6-1, 6-4.
The Xavier clincher came on line six, where Ma'at held off Compagnucci, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1.
The final point also went the way of the Gold Nuggets, as No. 18 Wheatley fended off No. 75 Garces 7-5, 4-6, 7-5.
Southeastern will look to respond to the loss, defending the home courts once again. This time from NCAA DIII New Paltz, April 1st at 1 p.m.
