POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – The Marist women's tennis team dropped a hard fought match to the Niagara Purple Eagles, 4-3, Saturday evening in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action.
The loss is the Red Foxes first conference loss on the season and the team now stands at 5-1 in MAAC play and 6-11 overall. Before the match the program honored seniors, Karlene Pang, Melissa Carlay, Lisa Ventimiglia, and Nikki Rohan.
Marist jumped out to a quick start winning at the second and third doubles positions and clinching the doubles point to go up 1-0 in the overall match. Caroline Lozo and Ariel Shulman paired up to defeat Stella Peisakhova and Shannon Wong, 6-4 and Carlay and Venitmiglia defeated Sharlee Deshmukh and Leann Richert, 6-1.
Niagara pulled ahead however, winning from the second and third singles spots to take a 2-1 overall match lead against an undermanned Marist singles lineup. Callie Morlock leveled the match at two apiece defeating Richert in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2.
Elizabeth Brozovich then pushed the Red Foxes ahead with a 6-1, 6-3, victory over Niagara's Wong. The overall match was then decided by two matches that went the full distance.
At first singles Pang and Niagara's Peisakhova found themselves in an absolute battle. After Pang won the first set, 6-4, Peisakhova then took the second set, 6-4. Peisakhova was then able to pull out the win in the third set, 6-4, after her and Pang continuously pulled ahead of one another throughout.
In the last match left on the court, Rohan and Deshmukh engaged in an all-out back and forth exchange to decide the match. Deshmukh won the first set 7-6 (7-3). Rohan then bounced back winning 6-4 in the second set. Unfortunately Rohan, who was battling calf cramps from the second set on, was unable to go any further as Deshmukh pulled away and won the third set 6-1 to clinch the match for Niagara.
The Red Foxes will play their last non-conference match of the season against Colgate on Friday, April 15th at 12 p.m. before they conclude the season on the road against Quinnipiac on Sunday, April 17th.
Full Results
Doubles
1. Wheeler, Sydnee/Hollins, Haley (NIAW) def. Karlene Pang/Claire Schmitz (MARW) 7-5
2. Caroline Lozo/Ariel Shulman (MARW) def. Peisakhova, Stella/Wong, Shannon (NIAW) 6-4
3. Melissa Carlay/Lisa Ventimiglia (MARW) def. Deshmukh, Sharlee/Richert, Leann (NIAW) 6-1
Singles
1. Peisakhova, Stella (NIAW) def. Karlene Pang (MARW) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
2. Hollins, Haley (NIAW) def. Ariel Shulman (MARW) 6-2, 6-2
3. Wheeler, Sydnee (NIAW) def. Claire Schmitz (MARW) 6-4, 6-2
4. Elizabeth Brozovich (MARW) def. Wong, Shannon (NIAW) 6-1, 6-3
5. Deshmukh, Sharlee (NIAW) def. Nikki Rohan (MARW) 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-1
6. Callie Morlock (MARW) def. Richert, Leann (NIAW) 6-1, 6-2
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (2,3,6,4,1,5)
