EDISON, NJ (Apr. 21, 2022) – The 2022 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships presented by VisitNJ are set to be played this weekend on Saturday and Sunday, April 23-24 at Mercer County Park Tennis Center in West Windsor, New Jersey. This marks the 10
th consecutive championship held at Mercer County Park Tennis Center dating back to the 2012 MAAC Men's & Women's Tennis Championships. First serve for all three women’s matches are set for 10:00 a.m. and the trio of men’s matches have a 2:00 p.m. start.
The women’s field features the quartet of MAAC Regular Season Co-Champions Quinnipiac University and Siena College, third seed Fairfield University and fourth seed Niagara University. The four-team championship field on the men’s side include Regular Season Champion and top-seeded Monmouth University, No. 2 Siena College, No. 3 Quinnipiac University, and No. 4 Niagara University.
Quinnipiac and Siena earned a share of the MAAC Women’s Regular Season Championship, both posting 5-1 league records on the season. The Bobcats defeated the Saints 6-1 in the regular season finale on Friday, April 15, clinching the No. 1 seed in the tournament. Quinnipiac has earned at least a share of the regular season crown eight straight times since joining the league in 2013-14 and has compiled a 54-1 record over the timespan. The Bobcats will look to win their sixth total tournament, having claimed the trophy in five consecutive seasons from 2014 to 2018. Defending tournament champions, Siena, won the regular season for the first time in 16 years, last clinching the title in 2005-06. The Saints will look to win back-to-back MAAC tournament championships and their third overall in program history this weekend.
Monmouth collected its seventh consecutive MAAC Men’s Regular Season crown and overall top seed for the championship, concluding 2022 with a perfect 6-0 conference record and winning all but one league match by a 7-0 score this season. The Hawks have won 33 consecutive MAAC regular season matches dating back to the 2016 campaign. Monmouth will be competing for its sixth straight MAAC trophy, having won the last five tournaments since 2016.
Women’s Matchups
No. 1 Quinnipiac (11-8, 5-1 MAAC) vs. No. 4 Niagara (8-13, 3-3 MAAC)
Mercer County Park Tennis Center | WEST WINDSOR, NJ
No. 1 Quinnipiac will face No. 4 Niagara in the semifinals on Saturday. Niagara closed out the regular season with a 5-0 record, including three straight conference wins to snag the fourth and final playoff spot. The Purple Eagles make the tournament for the first time in consecutive seasons since 2015 and 2016. Niagara is seeking its third women’s title, having been crowned MAAC champions in 2003 and 2005. When the two sides met on April 2, the Bobcats knocked off the Purple Eagles 5-2 in Hamden, CT – the last time Niagara was defeated this season. Quinnipiac took five out of the six singles, while Niagara earned the doubles point in the match. In postseason play, the two have clashed four times previously (2015, 2016, 2018, and 2021) with the Bobcats winning all four meetings, including the 2015 title match.
No. 2 Siena (10-11, 5-1 MAAC) vs. No. 3 Fairfield (9-10, 4-2 MAAC)
Mercer County Park Tennis Center | WEST WINDSOR, NJ
Meeting in the semifinal round for the second straight season, No. 2 Siena and No. 3 Fairfield will battle in a matchup between the last two MAAC Champions. Fairfield clinched a berth in the championship field for the eighth overall time since the MAAC changed to a four-team tournament format in 2011. The most successful women’s program in league history, the Stags have 10 MAAC titles on their resume dating back to the early 90’s, last winning the 2019 championship. In the regular season matchup between the teams, Siena earned a 5-2 home win on April 8. The Saints earned the doubles point, winning two of the three matches, and grabbed wins at #2, #4, #5, and #6 singles to claim the victory. The two have previously faced off in the tournament three times, with Fairfield holding a 2-1 advantage.
Men’s Matchups
No. 1 Monmouth (18-3, 6-0 MAAC) vs. No. 4 Niagara (12-8, 3-3 MAAC)
Mercer County Park Tennis Center | WEST WINDSOR, NJ
No. 1 Monmouth and No. 4 Niagara will be across the net from one another for the second time in a week, having just played in the regular season finale on Saturday, April 16. The Purple Eagles locked up the fourth and final playoff spot by virtue of a tiebreaker over Fairfield (4-3 head-to-head win), making their first appearance in the championship field since 2015. Niagara has never won a MAAC title, coming close in 2002 and 2003 with second place finishes both championships. In the meeting on April 16, the Hawks won in convincing fashion, topping the Purple Eagles in all six singles and all three doubles matches, leading to a 7-0 triumphant for Monmouth. The two have met twice previously in the postseason, playing in back-to-back semifinals during 2014 and 2015, with Monmouth coming away with wins both times.
No. 2 Siena (14-8, 4-2 MAAC) vs. No. 3 Quinnipiac (7-11, 4-2 MAAC)
Mercer County Park Tennis Center | WEST WINDSOR, NJ
4-2 MAAC squads, No. 2 Siena and No. 3 Quinnipiac will occupy the second semifinal match. Like the first semifinal, the Saints and Bobcats also met last week in the regular season finale. The two played on Friday, April 15 in Schenectady, NY, with Siena coming away with a 5-2 home victory, gaining the second seed by way of the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Saints took the doubles point and four out of the six singles en route to the win. Siena finds its way into the championship field for the first time in 12 years, last clinching a berth in 2010 and earning its highest seed in program history. The Saints seek their first MAAC crown after a program record 14-win regular season. The Bobcats qualify for their sixth consecutive MAAC tournament dating back to 2015. Quinnipiac has also never won a MAAC crown, having advanced to the finals twice in 2016 and 2019, before falling in both finals’ appearances to Monmouth. This will be the first ever postseason meeting between Siena and Quinnipiac.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 41st year of competition during the 2021-22 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.
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