FLUSHING, N.Y. – The Niagara women’s tennis team advanced to the 2009 MAAC Tournament Final with a 6-1 win over no. 4 seed Marist on Saturday morning from the Billie Jean National Tennis Center.

Niagara (11-11) will make its fifth final appearance in the last seven years, and will do so with a perfect record against MAAC opponents (9-0).

The Purple Eagles topped the Red Foxes with the identical scoreline as their previous meeting this season on March 29 at the SportsPlex in North Tonanwanda, N.Y.  Niagara remained perfect in doubles action in the tournament by winning all three matches this morning to take a 1-0 lead.

In singles play, Niagara kept its nerves in a couple of tight matches. In the number one singles match, Hilary Hansen (Victoria, B.C.) was taken to a three set tie-breaker before she prevailed over Marist’s Erin McCarthy, 62 16 76 (2). Raquel Solis (Puebla, Mexico), Vanja Lakic (Waterloo, Ont.) and Victoria Tiso (Clarence, N.Y.) all won in straight sets after winning the first set 75. Freshman Alyssa Lucas (Clarkston, Mich.) put a 60 60 line in the number two spot for the Purple Eagles.

Niagara’s opponent in the Sunday morning final is second-seeded Fairfield. The Purple Eagles defeated the Stags 4-3 on the final day of the MAAC regular season on April 4 to clinch the regular season title. This will be the third time in the last six years that Niagara and Fairfield have played each other for the tournament title.

#1 Niagara 6, #4 Marist 1

Singles

#1 Hilary Hansen (NIA) def. Erin McCarthy (MAR) 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (7-2)

#2 Alyssa Lucas (NIA) def. Emily Zampello (MAR) 6-0, 6-0

#3 Raquel Solis (NIA) def. Mirelva Colon (MAR) 7-5, 6-3

#4 Vanja Lakic (NIA) def. Retta Byron (MAR) 7-5, 6-2

#5 Victoria Tiso (NIA) def. Kayla O’Donovan (MAR) 7-5, 6-3

#6 Jeannie Lukin (MAR) def. Brittany Walters (NIA) 6-4, 6-1

Doubles

#1 Lucas/Solis (NIA) def. McCarthy/Colon (MAR) 8-6

#2 Lakic/Hansen (NIA) def. Zampello/O’Donovan (MAR) 8-2

#3 Tiso/Walters (NIA) def. Byron/Lukin (MAR) 8-4