Freshman Vanja Lakic |
NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – The Niagara University men’s and women’s tennis teams will play their first dual matches of the season this weekend on their Monteagle Ridge campus courts when they host St. Francis (Pa.) and Clarion University. The women’s team kicks off the weekend when it hosts the Golden Eagles of Clarion at 1 p.m. Saturday. Both Purple Eagle squads host the Red Flash of St. Francis at 10 a.m. Sunday.
The Niagara women’s team is coming off wins in the Niagara Regional Tournament. Senior Danielle Grenier (Ft. Erie, Ont.) and junior Julianne Prokopich (Loretto, Ont.) beat St. Bonaventure at No. 1 doubles, and freshman Vanja Lakic (Waterloo, Ont.) and sophomore Kim Roberts (Victoria, B.C.) won at No. 2 doubles vs. the Bonnies. In a second doubles match, Lakic and Roberts also won at No. 2 doubles against SBU. In singles, Grenier and Lakic registered Niagara’s only wins.
Clarion has a 3-2 dual record this season, but has dropped its last two. Sophomore Lisa Baumgartner has a 4-1 dual record playing at No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 singles. In doubles, Baumgartner teams with classmate Emily Barry for a 4-1 record at No. 2 doubles.
The St. Francis (Pa.) women’s team is 0-4 on the season and has been shutout in its last two dual matches. Junior Mallary Palmer and sophomore Ruxandra Ionescu are the only to Red Flash with singles wins at No. 4 and No. 1, respectively. In doubles, St. Francis (Pa.) will be looking for its first win.
For the men, Niagara got a singles and doubles win against St. Bonaventure in the Penn State Classic at State College, Pa. Sophomore Walter Garcia (Oaxaca, Mexico) won at No. 2 singles, and in doubles, junior Justin McConkey (Newmarket, Ont.) and freshman Dawson Peare (Gormley, Ont.) were victorious at No. 2.
The Red Flash stand at 0-3 on the season. They dropped a close 4-3 match at Robert Morris last weekend, and a 4-3 match at Mount Saint Mary’s in the season opener.
Freshman Andrei Sandu is 2-1 at No. 1 singles and teams with classmate Jeffrey Seevers at No. 1 doubles for a 1-1 record.
