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Nathan Slattery Marist 2024
4
Winner Rider RID-M (6-16, 3-2 MAAC)
3
Siena SIE-M (3-14, 0-5 MAAC)
Winner
Rider RID-M
(6-16, 3-2 MAAC)
4
Final
3
Siena SIE-M
(3-14, 0-5 MAAC)
5
Winner Marist MAR-M (7-13, 3-2 MAAC)
2
Rider RID-M (6-17, 3-3 MAAC)
Winner
Marist MAR-M
(7-13, 3-2 MAAC)
5
Final
2
Rider RID-M
(6-17, 3-3 MAAC)

Match Recap: Men's Tennis |

Men's Tennis Clinches Best League Finish in MAAC Era, MAAC Championship Berth

Broncs defeat Siena Friday, fall to Marist Saturday

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The Rider University men's tennis team split a pair of MAAC matches this Friday and Saturday to clinch its first-ever berth in the current four-team format of the MAAC Championships, dating back to 2011. The Broncs defeated Siena, 4-3, Friday night in Latham, NY, before falling to Marist, 5-2, Saturday afternoon at home. With the split, the Broncs move to 6-17 (3-3 MAAC), while the Saints are now 3-14 (0-5 MAAC) and the Red Foxes improved to 7-13 (3-2 MAAC). The top four finish in the MAAC is the Broncs' highest in 27 years in the league, following several fifth-place finishes.

Rider has clinched No. 4 seed in the tournament by virtue of its head-to-head victory over Niagara. The Purple Eagles still have a Sunday match remaining against Quinnipiac. However, a win would only enter Niagara into either a head-to-head tie with the Broncs or a three-way tie with Marist (with a loss Monday at Mount St. Mary's), in which case the Red Foxes' 2-0 record against the Broncs and Purple Eagles would give them the No. 3 seed and Rider's 1-1 record against the group would give the Broncs the No. 4 seed.

On Friday at Siena, the Saints built a 3-1 lead with the doubles point and two of the first three singles matches to finish, before the Broncs stormed all the way back. Dhruv Tangri (Punjab, India/Cambridge International School) scored the Broncs first win of the day, 6-3, 6-2, over Fabio Varella at No. 2, Jake Grimes (Atlanta, GA/Johnson Ferry Christian Academy) pulled the Broncs one step closer with a 7-6, 6-4, victory over Andrea Moro at No. 5.

Nathan Slattery (Nenagh, Ireland) pulled the Broncs even, battling back from down a set to defeat Zino Varouhas-Pool, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, at No. 3. For the second-straight match, it was Jonathan Arbittier (Mendham, NJ/Dallastown Area) scoring the clincher with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, victory over Dylan Breen at No. 6.

Against Marist Saturday, Cooper Dillon (Brisbane, Australia/Laurel Springs) and Ibragim Turgambekov (Almaty, Kazakhstan) earned a 6-3 victory at No. 1 doubles over Jose Catala and Alejandro Castaneda. But the Red Foxes would take the remaining two flights and the point.

Roger Martinez (Girona, Spain/Saint George's School) took a 7-5, 2-1 (ret.) victory over Castaneda at No. 4 singles and Arbittier won at No. 6, 8-4, over Nick Suhanitski. But the Red Foxes won the other four flights to secure the 5-2 victory.

"Tough one for our guys. They were emotionally drained from the comeback win last night and, with a quick turnaround, we needed to be at our absolute best against Marist," said Rider Head Coach Tom Battaglia. "We had four missed opportunities to get the doubles point, which would have given us a little more momentum. But thankfully we got a little help this evening to qualify for the postseason."

The Broncs now await their opponent in the MAAC Semifinals, to be played Saturday, Apr. 20, at Mercer County Park Tennis Center in West Windsor, NJ. The 2 p.m. match will be against the top seed, to be decided in a head-to-head regular-season match between Fairfield and Quinnipiac on Tuesday afternoon.

 
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