HAMDEN, Conn. – The Niagara Purple Eagles defeated the Quinnipiac Bobcats, 6-1, to lock up a berth into the MAAC Tournament on Saturday.

Niagara (11-9, 4-2 MAAC) started the match strongly by winning the doubles point for the 14th time this season. NU won in one and three doubles. The top pair of Michael Elortegui and Inaki Belloso won 8-3 for its fifth straight victory and the team of Lorenz Schwojer and Mathieu Lacasse won 8-4 for its third consecutive win.

In singles action, the Purple Eagles would win five of the six matches against Quinnipiac (6-9, 3-3 MAAC). In No.3 singles, David Raymond won a shorten match with Seba Barhero, 6-3, 4-1 ret. to set a single-season career-high with 19 wins. Belloso held off Eric Ambrosio, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3, in two singles to inch one win away from tying teammate Olivier Dufour-Coursol's single-season school record of 23 wins. Dufour-Coursol, Schwojer and Lacasse all won in straight sets in four, five and six singles, respectively.

The Purple Eagles will now be a part of the four-team MAAC Tournament from April 26-27 in West Windsor, N.J.

Niagara will play its last non-conference and road match of the season against No. 70 St. John's on Sunday at 11 a.m.