NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — The Niagara University women’s tennis team will face the four-time defending MAAC Tournament champions Quinnipiac Bobcats in the 2018 MAAC Tournament Semifinals on Saturday, April 28.
Match Tidbits
- The Purple Eagles enter the postseason as one of the hottest teams in the MAAC, winners of five of their last six matches including consecutive 7-0 victories.
- Five Purple Eagles have won double-digit matches in singles – Andreea Peteu (14), Stella Peisakhova (12), Shannon Wong (12), Sharlee Deshmukh (12), and Ali Hutchinson (10).
- Shannon Wong enters the tournament on a six-match win streak. She finished with a 6-1 record in MAAC matches, including going 4-0 in No. 5 singles.
- Andreea Peteu went 5-2 in MAAC matches playing in the No. 2 slot.
- Two doubles teams went 5-1 in MAAC matches – No. 1 (Andreea Peteu/Stella Peisakhova) and No. 2 (Chhinda Som/Ali Hutchinson).
- The No. 1 tandem went a team-best 10-7 in league play.
Championship Points
- NU has qualified for the four-team conference tournament for the fourth time in the last five season.
- Niagara has won the MAAC Tournament twice (2003 & 2005) in program history.
- Niagara and Quinnipiac will meet for the third time in the last five MAAC Tournaments. The Purple Eagles fell to the Bobcats in the 2015 MAAC Championship Final and in the 2016 MAAC Championship Semifinals.
Across The Net: No.1 Quinnipiac Bobcats (13-7, 7-0 MAAC)
- The Bobcats, who have won the last four MAAC Tournament titles, are the No. 1 seed in this year’s tournament after posting a 7-0 record.
- Since joining the league at the start of the 2013-14 season, Quinnipiac is 45-0 against MAAC opponents.
- Freshman Dominique Vasile, a four-time MAAC Player of the Week honoree, is 16-5 on the season and 10-3 in No. 1 singles.
- Quinnipiac returns veterans Jennifer Lu, who was the Most Outstanding Performer in last year’s tournament, and Proyfon Lohaphaisan.
- Seven Bobcats are unbeaten in singles in league play (minimum of two matches) including four with 6-0 records. As a team, Quinnipiac went 41-1 in singles in MAAC matches.
- The Bobcats went 50-43 in doubles matches, including 17-4 in MAAC play. Quinnipiac lost the doubles point only twice this season in league play with Niagara being one of the teams.
Last Meeting – March 24, 2018
Quinnipiac 6, Niagara 1
- Niagara won the doubles point to take an early 1-0 lead.
- In No. 3 doubles, Chhinda Som and Ali Hutchinson defeated Payton Bradely and Stephanie Yanosov, 7-5. The No. 1 team of Stella Peisakhova and Andreea Peteu edged Jennifer Lu and Layla Rodriguez, 7-6.
- The Bobcats, however, bounced back in singles to win all six matches.
- Chhinda Som and Shannon Wong lost in three sets in three and four singles, respectively.
- Ali Hutchinson and Sharlee Deshmukh both lost two close matches in straight sets.
