PRINCETON, NJ (Apr. 26, 2026) – No. 2 Rider University clinched the 2026 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Men’s Tennis Championship on Sunday afternoon at Princeton University Racquet and Fieldhouse in Princeton, NJ. The Broncs defeated No. 1 Marist University 4-1 to secure the first MAAC Men’s Championship trophy in program history.
No. 2 Rider – 4 | No. 1 Marist – 1
Princeton University Racquet and Fieldhouse | PRINCETON, NJ
Score Sheet
Rider gained a 1-0 lead by winning the doubles point. The Broncs made quick work of the doubles matches, winning at #2 and #3. The #2 pair of Heath Waters Jr. and Ibragim Turgambekov beat Ian Layton and Gregor Heinemann 6-2 and the #3 duo of Roger Pelaez Martinez and Axel Engstrom edged Jose Catala and Fateh Singh 6-4.
Marist tied the championship at 1-1 behind a 6-0 6-0 win in straight sets by Alejandro Abella Fernandez over Heath Waters Jr. in the #3 position. That would be the only point secured by the Red Foxes the rest of the way as the Broncs would rally to take the next three straight matches. MAAC Player of the Year, Cole Thurgur, extended the Broncs lead to 2-1 after clipping Jose Catala 6-2 6-1 at the topflight. Rider would go up 3-1 following a win at the #2 spot, coming by way of a 6-1 6-4 triumph from Matteus Froberg Dahlin over Ian Layton. The clincher would happen on court five when Nathan Slattey grinded out a 7-6(3) 4-6 6-2 win over Tom Bevan at the #5 position, to seal to championship title and punch the Broncs ticket to the NCAA.
Rider snapped Marist’s nine match winning streak, handed the Red Foxes their first defeat since March 22, and became the only MAAC team to beat Marist this season. One year after losing in the championship final, Rider redeemed itself with its championship victory. Along the way the Broncs knocked off two-time defending champion, Quinnipiac in the semifinal round, avenging last season’s championship final loss and by taking down Marist in the final, one of just two teams that defeated Rider in the regular this year. Rider becomes the sixth program to win a MAAC Men’s Championship since 2008, the first year the conference moved to a head-to-head team tournament format.
Cole Thurgur, who went 16-0 in singles dual matches this season, was named as the 2026 MAAC Championship Most Outstanding Performer.
Rider will earn the MAAC automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division I Men’s Tennis Championship. The Broncs will find out their opponent and match time on Monday, April 27 at 4:00 p.m. during the Division I Men’s Tennis Selection Show on NCAA.com.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 13 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 45th year of competition during the 2025-26 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan University, Marist University, Merrimack College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Sacred Heart University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena University.
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