POUGHEEPSIE, N.Y. – The Niagara Purple Eagles battled the defending conference champions Marist Red Foxes to the final point, but were edged 4-3 on Sunday.

Niagara (4-10, 1-4 MAAC) lost the doubles point despite the No. 2 tandem of Ashley Ta and Maria Ortiz defeating Sabrina Tahir and Joana Sun, 8-2, for their fourth straight win.

Ta continued her stellar play in singles with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-0 victory over Erin McCarthy in No. 2 singles for her fourth straight singles win.  Team captain Hilary Hansen followed with a three-set win of her own, 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, to tie the match at 2-2.

The Purple Eagles were trailing 3-2 after falling in No. 4 singles when Maria Ortiz rallied from a set down to win 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 to tie the match at 3-3.

The match came down to the final dual between Viki Sardellitti and Tessa Lewis. Sardellitti took the first set, 6-4, but dropped the second 6-1. Lewis eventually pulled away in the third set to win 6-3 to clinch the match for the Red Foxes (6-4, 2-0 MAAC).

“The women fought valiantly today,” head coach Anthony Nguyen said. “We lost an extremely close doubles point, but came out and battled in singles. We gave ourselves a chance to be successful, but unfortunately fell short. Patrick (Letson) and I were extremely proud of the way the ladies fought today.”

Niagara is back home for a non-conference match against Saint Joseph’s at 5 p.m.

Marist 4, Niagara University 3

Singles competition
1. Hansen, Hilary (NIAW) def. Raynor, Kelsey (MARW) 7-5, 2-6, 6-4
2. Ta, Ashley (NIAW) def. McCarthy, Erin (MARW) 6-4, 1-6, 6-0
3. Sun, Joana (MARW) def. Celan, Iva (NIAW) 6-3, 6-2
4. Ortiz, Maria (NIAW) def. Tahir, Sabrina (MARW) 2-6, 6-3, 6-3
5. O'Donovan, Kayla (MARW) def. Zilka, Rachel (NIAW) 6-3, 6-2
6. Lewis, Tessa (MARW) def. Sardellitti, Viki (NIAW) 4-6, 6-1, 6-3

Doubles competition
1. Raynor, Kelsey/McCarthy, Erin (MARW) def. Hansen, Hilary/Celan, Iva (NIAW) 8-2
2. Ta, Ashley/Ortiz, Maria (NIAW) def. Sun, Joana/Tahir, Sabrina (MARW) 8-2
3. O'Donovan, Kayla/Lewis, Tessa (MARW) def. Sardellitti, Viki/Zilka, Rachel (NIAW) 8-6

Order of finish
Doubles – 1, 2, 3
Singles – 3, 2, 1, 5, 4, 6