NORTH TONAWANDA, N.Y. – The Niagara women’s tennis team defeated the Robert Morris Colonials, 5-2, on Saturday to pick up its first win of the spring season.

The Purple Eagles (2-2) started the match well by taking the doubles point. Hilary Hansen and Maria Ortiz eased past RMU’s Samantha Alves and Clarissa Chen, 8-3, in No. 1 doubles and Ashley Ta and Sarah Hellstern squeaked past Marie-Sophie Heine and Dounia Zinbi, 8-6.

In singles play, NU took a 3-1 lead with wins by Hansen in straight sets over Carolina Teixeira, 6-1, 6-4, and Ta rallied from a set down to down Alves, 1-6, 6-1, 6-2. Hellstern clinched the match with a convincing straight set win, 6-0, 6-1, in No. 4 singles.  Maria Ortiz topped Zinbi, 6-0, 6-2, for NU’s fourth singles win.

Niagara has two matches coming up this week beginning with Mercyhurst on Feb. 8 at SportsPlex and traveling to play Duquesne on Feb. 10.

Niagara University 5, Robert Morris 2

Singles competition
1. Hansen, Hilary (NIAW) def. TEIXEIRA, Carolina (RMU) 6-1, 6-4
2. Ta, Ashley (NIAW) def. ALVES, Samantha (RMU) 1-6, 6-1, 6-2
3. CHEN, Clarissa (RMU) def. Celan, Iva (NIAW) 6-3, 6-3
4. Hellstern, Sarah (NIAW) def. HEINE, Marie-Sophie (RMU) 6-0, 6-1
5. Ortiz, Maria (NIAW) def. ZINBI, Dounia (RMU) 6-0, 6-2
6. NOVELLA, Isabella (RMU) def. Sardellitti, Viki (NIAW) 6-1, 6-0

Doubles competition
1. Hansen, Hilary/Ortiz, Maria (NIAW) def. ALVES, Samantha/CHEN, Clarissa (RMU) 8-3
2. Hellstern, Sarah/Ta, Ashley (NIAW) def. HEINE, Marie-Sophie/ZINBI, Dounia (RMU) 8-6
3. TEIXEIRA, Carolina/NOVELLA, Isabella (RMU) def. McCune, Jenna/Celan, Iva (NIAW) 8-4