Rider men's tennis wins first-ever MAAC Championship

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The Rider University men’s tennis team claimed its first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship in program history on April 26, defeating top-seeded Marist 4-1 to secure the title and earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

The Broncs came out strong to take the doubles point. First-year Heath Paul Waters and junior Ibragim Turgambekov scored the first victory with a 6-2 win on court two, followed by senior Roger Martinez and sophomore Axel Engstrom, who secured a 6-4 win at No. 3 to give Rider the early lead.

The Red Foxes evened the match in singles play with a win at No. 3, but the Broncs quickly regained control. Sophomore Cole Thurgur earned a decisive 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 1, and sophomore Matteus Froberg Dahlin followed with a 6-1, 6-4 victory at No. 2.

Engstrom and senior Nathan Slattery both won their opening sets on courts four and five, while junior Matthew Griscti dropped the first set on court six. Slattery was the first to fall in set two setting up a decisive third set, then Engstrom fell in a hard-fought second to go to set three as well. Meanwhile, at No. 6, Griscti was mounting a comeback, taking set two to force all three remaining matches into a third set. It was Slattery who would take control, getting an early break in the fifth set, then leading 3-2, Slattery won the final three games to clinch the championship for the Broncs.

“It really started last year, when we lost in the championship. It hit us hard, but the heart that these guys showed was incredible,” said Head Coach Tim Koch. “They used it as motivation for the offseason, worked hard every day and continued to improve. That experience was key today.”

Thurgur finished the season a perfect 16-0 in dual matches and was named MAAC Tournament MVP and MAAC Player of the Year after winning at No. 1 singles in both the semifinals and finals.

Rider will learn its NCAA Tournament opponent during the selection show on NCAA.com on April 27 at 4 p.m.