FLUSHING, N.Y. – The top-seeded Niagara women’s tennis team’s bid for a MAAC Championship ended on Sunday morning. The Purple Eagles lost to no. 2 seed Fairfield 4-1 in the championship game from the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Niagara’s (11-12) perfect MAAC record (9-0) evaporated with the defeat to the Stags (15-4). The Purple Eagles suffered the same fate in the 2003-04 season; Niagara entered the 2004 MAAC Final with a 15-0 overall record, but lost to second-seeded Fairfield 4-3.

The Purple and White were aiming for their third-ever MAAC title and were playing in the championship game for the fifth time in the last seven years. Niagara has faced Fairfield in three of those occasions and is now 0-3 in those matches.

In the latest’s edition, Niagara got off to a slow start. The number one doubles team, Alyssa Lucas (Clarkston, Mich.) and Raquel Solis (Puebla, Mexico), fell 8-1; Niagara proceeded to drop the next two matches, 8-3 and 8-2, respectively.

Niagara had also lost all three doubles matches in its 4-3 win over Fairfield on April 4, but prevailed with strong single performances. Unfortunately, Niagara did not have the same outcome this time.

In number one singles, Hilary Hansen (Charlottetown, P.E.I.) took Dana Postupack to three sets before falling 46 64 63. Solis also fell in three sets, 36 62 62, in the number three spot. Senior Victoria Tiso (Clarence, N.Y.) topped Fairfield’s Michaela Cerrone, 62 63, to put Niagara on the board downed 3-1.

The deciding match was Emma Cunnington’s (Victoria, B.C.) who lost in straight sets, 64 62. Lucas and senior Vanja Lakic (Waterloo, Ont.) matches were in the third set when their matches were called off.