April 12, 2008

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.-- After three straight conference road matches, the Marist women's tennis team returned home and crushed Niagara 7-0. The win gets the Red Foxes to 7-7 overall and 6-0 in the MAAC. They have now won 14 straight regular season conference matches and six in a row overall.

All six Marist players to take the court were double winners as they won all three doubles matches and all six singles matches.

In first singles, senior Christone Ong (Tarzana, Calif.) won 6-2, 6-2 over Raquel Solis. Erin Godly (Verona, Ky.) defeated Shella Bargout 6-2, 6-4 in second singles, and Cassie Strange (Valencia, Calif.) won her third singles match over Vanja Lakic, 6-3, 7-5.

Mirelva Colon (Bayamon, Puerto Rico) won the match of the day over Emma Cunnington. Colon dropped the first set 2-6, but came back to win the last two sets 6-1.

"I was really happy with the effort of the entire team," said Marist Head Coach Roge Nesbitt. "I was also pleased with the way Mirelva bounced back after dropping a tough first set."

Emily Zampello (Kingwood, Texas) won 7-5, 6-1 in fifth singles over Victoria Tiso, and Natalie Fouché won her sixth singles match over Kim Roberts, 6-2, 6-3.

Strange and Ong won a well played first doubles match 8-5 over Bargout and Roberts. In second doubles, Godly and Zampello won 8-3, and Colon and Fouché took their third doubles match 8-1.

Marist will return to the court on Tuesday versus Hofstra on Senior Night and Community Night. Senior's Erin Godly and Christine Ong will be honored prior to the match.

The Red Foxes match with St. Peter's was postponed and will be rescheduled at a later date.

Results:(Marist players listed first)

Singles
Ong def Solis 6-2, 6-2
Godly def. Bargout 6-2, 6-4
Strange def. Lakic 6-3, 7-5
Colon def Cunnington 2-6, 6-1, 6-1
Zampello def. Tiso 7-5, 6-1
Fouché def. Roberts 6-2, 6-3

Doubles
Ong/Strange def Bargout/Roberts 8-5
Zampello/Godly def. Solis/Cunnington 8-3
Colon/Fouché def. Lakic/Tiso 8-1

Final Score Marist 7, Niagara 0