LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Kelli Swanson (Wenonah, NJ/GCIT (Rowan)] won at both singles and doubles and Cyd Melendez (Cayey, PR/Colegio La Merced) won her No. 2 singles match, but the Rider University women's tennis team fell to Niagara, 5-2, Friday afternoon. With the loss, the Broncs slip to 7-10 (1-5 MAAC), while the Purple Eagles are now 5-15 (2-3 MAAC). 

“The men and women came close to winning the doubles point, which might have given us more momentum going into the singles matches,” said Rider Head Coach Doug Potkay.

Swanson paired with Danielle Scrudato (Califon, NJ/Voorhees) to defeat Shannon Wong and Jasmin Vargas, 6-1, at No. 3 doubles. But the Broncs fell in the remaining two doubles flights as the Purple Eagles took a 1-0 lead. 

Swanson completed the double win with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Vargas at No. 6. Melendez also won a three-set match at No. 2, defeating Sansriti Ranjan, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. But the Purple Eagles took the remaining four singles matches to claim the 5-2 win. 

Following the cancellation of Sunday's regularly-scheduled match at Saint Joseph's, the Broncs return to action Monday, when they travel to Loyola. First serve is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

Niagara University 5, Rider University 2

 Singles competition 

1. Peisakhova, Stella (NIA) def. Canda, Vanessa (RID-W) 6-0, 6-0

2. Melendez, Cyd (RID-W) def. Ranjan, Sansriti (NIA) 3-6, 6-2, 6-4

3. Wong, Shannon (NIA) def. Scrudato, Danielle (RID-W) 1-6, 6-4, 6-3

4. Deshmukh, Sharlee (NIA) def. Gardner, Caitlin (RID-W) 6-1, 6-0

5. Hutchinson, Ali (NIA) def. Binder, Amanda (RID-W) 6-2, 6-2

6. Swanson, Kelli (RID-W) def. Vargas, Jasmin (NIA) 6-4, 6-3

 Doubles competition 

1. Deshmukh, Sharlee/Peisakhova, Stella (NIA) def. Canda, Vanessa/Melendez, Cyd (RID-W) 6-1

2. Ranjan, Sansriti/Hutchinson, Ali (NIA) def. Gardner, Caitlin/Binder, Amanda (RID-W) 6-4

3. Scrudato, Danielle/Swanson, Kelli (RID-W) def. Wong, Shannon/Vargas, Jasmin (NIA) 6-1

Match Notes:

Niagara University 5-15, 2-3 MAAC

Rider University 7-10, 1-5 MAAC