NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – The Niagara University women’s tennis team (10-10, 6-1) suffered its first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference loss of the season, falling 5-2 to Marist College (10-1, 7-0) Sunday afternoon at the Sportsplex in Tonawanda.

The Red Foxes took a 1-0 lead in the match, winning two of the three doubles matches. At No. 1 doubles, senior Jennifer Cremieux (Ajax, Ont.) and freshman Molly Mathews (Pittsburgh, Pa.) lost 9-8 (5) to Christine Ong and Cassie Strange. Junior Shella Dargout (Rochester, N.Y.) and sophomore Vanja Lakic (Waterloo, Ont.) fell 8-4 at No. 2 doubles to Erin Godly and Alexa Strange. The senior duo of Julianne Prokopich (Loretto, Ont.) and Jacquelyn Cary (Selkirk, N.Y.) won their second-straight match, beating Mirelva Colon and Megan Gureck, 8-5, at No. 3.

Niagara’s two points came in singles when Mathews beat Gureck, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 10-3 at No. 4, and Dargout won her eighth consecutive match with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Alexa Strange at No. 5 singles.

The Purple Eagles return to action April 17 when they travel to St. Bonaventure, N.Y., to take on the St. Bonaventure Bonnies at 3 p.m.