NORTH TONAWANDA, N.Y. – The Niagara men's tennis team was nipped by newly-minted MAAC foe Monmouth, 4-3, on Saturday at the SportsPlex.

The match came down to No. 1 singles where Michael Elortegui faced Victor Pugliese. After dropping the first set, 6-1, Elortegui edged Pugliese in the second set, 7-6 (5), to set up the third and deciding set. Pugliese jumped out a 3-0 lead on his way to winning the set 6-3 to clinch the match for Monmouth (6-6, 2-0 MAAC).

Niagara (7-8, 1-2 MAAC) entered the singles portion of the match down 1-0 after losing the doubles point for the first time in four matches. The Purple Eagles fell 8-6 and 8-3 in one and two doubles, respectively.

NU tied the match at 1-1 when Lorenz Schwojer won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, in No. 5 singles. Olivier Dufour-Coursol topped Freddy Marcinkowski, 6-4, 7-6(1) in No. 4 singles tie the match at 2-2, and David Raymond held on Bee Kumthonkittikul, 7-6 (4), 7-5, in three singles.

Niagara will face Saint Peter's on Sunday at 9 a.m.

Monmouth 4, Niagara University 3
Singles competition
1. Pugliese, Victor (MU) def. Elortegui, Michael (NIA) 6-1, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3
2. Filipek, Przemyslaw (MU) def. Belloso, Inaki (NIA) 6-1, 7-6 (6-4)
3. Raymond, David (NIA) def. Kumthonkittikul, Bee (MU) 7-6 (7-4), 7-5
4. Dufour-Coursol, O. (NIA) def. Marcinkowski, Freddy (MU) 6-4, 7-6 (7-1)
5. Schwojer, Lorenz (NIA) def. Adamus, Luke (MU) 6-3, 6-3
6. Vieira, Christian (MU) def. Lacasse, Mathieu (NIA) 6-4, 6-2

Doubles competition
1. Belloso, Inaki/Elortegui, Michael (NIA) vs. Pugliese, Victor/Vieira, Christian (MU) unfinished
2. Marcinkowski, Freddy/Bekhiet, Ramy (MU) def. Raymond, David/Dufour-Coursol, O. (NIA) 8-6
3. Kumthonkittikul, Bee/Filipek, Przemyslaw (MU) def. Lacasse, Mathieu/Schwojer, Lorenz (NIA) 8-3