MOBILE, Ala. -- No. 9-ranked Point Loma Nazarene lost to No. 7 Xavier (La.) 5-0 on a hot and muggy afternoon at the NAIA National Championships held at the Mobile Tennis Complex. The loss drops the Sea Lions to 13-11 overall on the year and ousts the squad from contention at the single-elimination tournament. 

PLNU dropped all three doubles points and then fell at one and three singles. Play was halted once the five points needed for the team win were gathered in by the Gold Rush.

It was the second time this season that the Sea Lions lost to UXLA. On April 2, the Gold Rush topped PLNU 5-4 in San Diego.

Doubles began the day's competition, and just like back on April 2, it was Xavier claiming all three points to take a commanding 3-0 lead.

On court one Gregory de Andrade and Tyler Bowman lost to Loic Didavi and Zach Taylor 8-4. KC Ensley and Angel Tavera were up by two games over Steffen Giles-Osborn and Sean Richardson, only to fall 9-7. On three Michael Zablan and Andrew Combs lost to Viktor Svoboda and Corey Huggins in another close match, 8-6.

“We felt like we had the match-ups we wanted,” said PLNU Coach Rich Hills. “I thought we could change the score from last time. We just couldn't pull it out. If we could have pulled out just one doubles, I think it could have made a big difference because we were in most of the singles matches.”

Xavier needed just two singles points for the win and it got them on court one where Didavi beat Bowman 6-2, 6-3 and on three where Svoboda defeated KC Ensley 6-2, 6-2.

After the opening round play is called once a team has the five points needed for the win.

“It's a hard way to go out,” said Hills. “The guys fought hard. You win some, you lose some; this one didn't turn out for us.”

The Green and Gold has reached the NAIA National Championships for each of the past 13 seasons. Every time the team did exactly what they did in 2012: win one, then lose the next. This season is the final time that Point Loma will compete in the event, as the program moves to the NCAA DII as a member of the Pacific West Conference. 

Point Loma Nazarene University vs Xavier University

#7 Xavier University 5, #9 Point Loma Nazarene University 0

Singles competition

1. Loic Didavi (XULA) def. Tyler Bowman (PLNU) 6-2, 6-3
2. Zach Taylor (XULA) vs. Gregory de Andrade (PLNU) 6-3, 3-4, unfinished
3. Viktor Svoboda (XULA) def. KC Ensley (PLNU) 6-2, 6-2
4. Steffen Giles-Osborn (XULA) vs. Michael Zablan (PLNU) 5-7, unfinished
5. Sean Richardson (XULA) vs. Diego Tavera (PLNU) 6-4, 2-3, unfinished
6. Corey Huggins (XULA) vs. Chad Rubin (PLNU) 7-6, 0-1, unfinished

Doubles competition
1. Loic Didavi/Zach Taylor (XULA) def. Tyler Bowman/Gregory de Andrade (PLNU) 8-4
2. Steffen Giles-Osborn/Sean Richardson (XULA) def. KC Ensley/Michael Zablan (PLNU) 9-7
3. Viktor Svoboda/Corey Huggins (XULA) def. Diego Tavera/Chad Rubin (PLNU) 8-6

Match Notes: Point Loma Nazarene University 13-11; National ranking #9
Xavier University 18-7; National ranking #7