On This Date In Purple Eagles History: Women's Tennis Captures Second MAAC Title

On this date in Purple Eagles history, presented by Castle Products, the Niagara University women’s tennis team won its second MAAC Tournament title in three seasons. The Purple Eagles topped Marist, 4-2, in the 2005 MAAC Final played at the United States Tennis Association Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. on April 24. 

Two years earlier, the Purple Eagles claimed the program’s first-ever MAAC championship when they defeated Siena, 5-2, in the 2003 MAAC Final. Niagara received the MAAC automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament where it played No. 16 Arizona at the Beren Tennis Center on the Harvard University campus; NU lost 4-0. Mariam Al-Shikarchy, Danielle Greiner, and current assistant coach Kendra Daigler Garcia were members on both championship teams. 

The 2004-05 Purple Eagles were led by 2016 Niagara University Athletics Hall of Fame Inductee Mariam Al-Shikarchy. As a senior, Al-Shikarchy was named the MAAC Player of the Year, the MAAC Most Outstanding Performer and the MAAC Female Student-Athlete of the Year, while earning first-team All-MAAC honors at No.1 singles and second-team All-MAAC selection at No. 1 doubles.  

Five Purple Eagles - Mariam Al-Shikarchy, Kendra Daigler, Danielle Greiner, Jacquelyn Cary, and Julianne Prokopich – on the 2004-05 team were named ITA Scholar Athlete and to the MAAC All-Academic Team. 

On May 13, Niagara competed against No. 15 seed Baylor in the 2005 NCAA Tournament at Brigham Young University Outdoor Tennis Courts. The Purple Eagles were defeated by the Baylor Bears, 4-0. 

Below is the match recap from the 2005 MAAC Final

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – For the second time in three years, the Niagara University women’s tennis team (15-8) is bound for the NCAA Tournament after capturing its second Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title on Sunday morning at Saint Peter’s College. The Purple Eagles avenged their lone league loss with a 4-2 victory over Marist College.

"It was awesome," fifth-year head coach Paul Calkins said. "It was two weeks to the day that we turned a 6-1 loss into a 4-2 win over Marist. The girls dedicated themselves the last two weeks to make this happen. They worked so hard and you could see it today, they were ready. Ready to send a message."

Niagara took the first point of the match when it won two of the three doubles matches. The 2005 Most Outstanding Performer, senior Mariam Al-Shikarchy(Fonthill, Ont.), and junior Danielle Greiner(Ft. Erie, Ont.) defeated Diana Perachio and Erin Godly, 8-4, at No. 1. The duo is now 21-5 overall, 16-4 in dual matches and 9-2 in tournaments.

The Purple Eagles’ No. 3 doubles team of senior Kendra Daigler(North Tonawanda, N.Y./North Tonawanda) and freshman Shella Dargout(Rochester, N.Y./East) defeated Courtney McGeever and Megan Gureck, 8-3. The pair improve to 14-10 overall, 12-7 in dual matches and 5-3 in tournaments.

Niagara fell behind 2-1 after two singles matches, but Al-Shikarchy extended her current singles winning streak to 12 with a three-set win over Yana Tikhouko, 6-1, 6-7, 7-5, at No. 1. The senior is 23-5 overall, 19-3 in dual matches and 7-2 in tournaments.

Sophomore Julianne Prokopich(Loretto, Ont.) returned the lead to Niagara, 3-2, when she defeated Gureck, 6-2, 6-4 at No. 5. She improved to 16-9 overall, 15-6 in dual matches and 4-2 in tournaments.

Greiner had the match-winning point when she beat Perachio, 6-4, 6-2 at No. 2 singles. With the win, she is now 14-5 overall, 14-4 in dual matches and 3-1 in tournaments.

The Purple Eagles are the second Niagara squad this year to advance to the NCAA Tournament (men’s basketball) and 2004-05 marks the first time in Purple Eagle history that two teams have earned NCAA automatic berths. The 2004-05 women’s tennis team is also just the third Purple Eagle squad to earn two NCAA berths (men’s basketball and men’s hockey) and the eighth overall team in Niagara history (2 women’s tennis, 2 men’s basketball, 2 men’s hockey, women’s hockey, softball) to participate in a NCAA Tournament.

Niagara will find out who, where and when it is playing when the 64-team bracket is announced May 4, on ESPNews at a time to be determined. The first- and second rounds are May 13-15 at 16 different sites, four teams per site.

The Purple Eagles made their first NCAA appearance in 2003. Niagara lost to then-No. 16 Arizona, 4-0, at Harvard University. Al-Shikarchy, Daigler, Greiner will all be playing in their second NCAA Tournament in 2005.

SINGLES

1. Mariam Al-Shikarchy (NU) def. Yana Tikhouko (MAR) 6-1, 7-6 (5)

2. Danielle Greiner (NU) def. Diana Perachio (MAR) 6-4, 6-2

3. Inge Le-Grange (MAR) def. Kendra Daigler (NU) 6-1, 6-3

4. Erin Godly (MAR) def. Jacquelyn Cary (NU) 6-1, 6-2

5. Julianne Prokopich (NU) def. Megan Gureck (MAR) 6-2, 6-4

6. Courtney McGeever (MAR) vs. Shella Dargout (NU) DNF, 4-2

DOUBLES

1. Al-Shikarchy/Greiner (NU) def. Percahio/Godly (MAR) 8-4

2. Tikhonko/Le-Grange (MAR) def. Cary/Prokopich (NU) 8-3

3. Daigler/Dargout (NU) def. McGeever/Gureck (MAR) 8-3