JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The conference-leading Niagara women’s tennis team improved to 5-0 in league play with a 5-2 win over Saint Peter’s on Saturday.

Niagara (11-5, 5-0 MAAC) sealed a spot in this season’s MAAC Tournament for the first time since 2010 with the win today. Niagara has won eight of the last nine matches against Saint Peter’s (5-9, 1-2 MAAC).

“Overall, the women did a real nice job today,” head coach Anthony Nguyen said. “We were real efficient playing doubles and were very workmanlike in our singles matches. We have come a long ways in our doubles play and it is nice to see us playing well at this junction in the season.”

The Purple Eagles grabbed the doubles point by winning all three matches. No. 1 doubles team of Hilary Hansen and Maria Ortiz and No. 2 doubles pair of Iva Celan and Sarah Hellstern both won their fourth straight match. Ashley Ta and Jenna McCune won their second straight match with a convincing 8-1 win in three doubles.

In singles, the Purple Eagles won four of the six matches, all in straight sets. Celan won her sixth straight match by dropping Vanessa Vogel, 6-2, 6-1, while Oritz picked up her third consecutive win. Hellstern’s remarkable unbeaten run to start her career came to an end today when she fell 3-6, 7-6 (2), 10-4 in No. 2 singles.  She is now a MAAC-best 13-1 on the season.

NU’s 11 wins are the most since winning 11 during the 2008-09 season.

Niagara is next on the court on Monday, April 8 at local rival St. Bonaventure.

Niagara University 5, Saint Peter's 2

Singles competition
1. Hansen, Hilary (NIAW) def. Livingston, Alexandr (SP) 6-1, 6-1
2. Ungurean-Halagian, A (SP) def. Hellstern, Sarah (NIAW) 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 10-4
3. Ta, Ashley (NIAW) def. Williams, Joniesa (SP) 6-1, 6-1
4. Ortiz, Maria (NIAW) def. Grbelja, Ivana (SP) 6-0, 6-1
5. Celan, Iva (NIAW) def. Vogel, Vanessa (SP) 6-2, 6-1
6. Nowodgrodzki, Jessic (SP) def. Sardellitti, Viki (NIAW) 6-1, 6-2

Doubles competition
1. Hansen, Hilary/Ortiz, Maria (NIAW) def. Livingston, Alexandr/Williams, Joniesa (SP) 8-6
2. Celan, Iva/Hellstern, Sarah (NIAW) def. Ungurean-Halagian, A/Grbelja, Ivana (SP) 8-5
3. Ta, Ashley/McCune, Jenna (NIAW) def. Vogel, Vanessa/Nowodgrodzki, Jessic (SP) 8-1

Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (1,3,4,5,2)