FLUSHING MEADOWS, N.Y. - The LIU Brooklyn women's tennis team ended the 2015 dual match season with a bang Thursday afternoon at the USTA National Tennis Center, as the Blackbirds (7-7, 3-1 NEC) beat three-time defending Northeast Conference champions Fairleigh Dickinson, 5-2.  

Prior to the match, the squad honored its three-member senior class of Sanne Louwers, Brittany Thompson and Nancy Zonneveld. The Blackbirds then went on to win a crucial match in the final week of play prior to the NEC tournament.

A depleted FDU squad was forced to forfeit in the No.3 doubles spot opening the match, giving the Blackbirds an early advantage. But FDU evened the score in the No.2 spot, where Nicole Chis and Shreya Pasricha beat Isabella Wagener and Zonneveld, 8-1. The doubles point came down to the No.1 spot, in a match that would take over an hour and a half to complete. Louwers and sophomore Marine Dans went down early to the Knights' duo of Gisela Castany and Maryia Krachok, falling in a 4-1 hole to start off. But the Blackbird duo rallied, and eventually won the top doubles spot in a tiebreaker, 8-7 (7-4), clinching the doubles point for LIU.

Up 1-0 in the team match, the Blackbirds got an added point, when FDU forfeited at the No.6 singles spot. With the 2-0 lead, LIU had some breathing room. But the Knights started to pick up ground. In the No.4 singles spot, Krachok beat Zonneveld, 6-0, 6-0. And at No.5, Alex Bryant beat Juweria Hussain, 7-5, 7-6, evening the team score up at 2-2. But LIU's top three singles players came through with wins.

Louwers beat Chis in the No.1 singles spot, 6-3, 6-2, while Dans defeated Pasricha, 6-4, 6-3. And Wagener clinched the win for LIU with her win at No.3 singles, where she beat Castany, 6-4, 6-1.

"I was really proud of the girls today," head coach Rose Ketnayura said after the match. "They fought hard and pulled out a big win and confidence builder leading into the NEC Championships next week. They were loud on the court, positive and cheering each other on. It was a great senior day!"

Up next, the Blackbirds take part in the 2015 Northeast Conference Tournament. The tournament will take place April 17-19 at the West Winsor Tennis Club in West Winsor, N.J.

LIU Brooklyn 5, Fairleigh Dickinson 2
Doubles
1. Sanne Louwers/Marine Dans (LIU) def. Gisela Castany/Maryia Krachok (FDU) 8-7 (7-4)
2. Nicole Chis/Shreya Pasricha (FDU) def. Isabella Wagener/Nancy Zonneveld (LIU) 8-1
3. LIU def. FDU, by forfeit

Singles
1. Sanne Louwers (LIU) def. Nicole Chis (FDU) 6-3, 6-2
2. Marine Dans (LIU) def. Shreya Pasricha (FDU) 6-4, 6-3
3. Isabella Wagener (LIU) def. Gisela Castany (FDU) 6-4, 6-1
4. Maryia Krachok (FDU) def. Nancy Zonneveld (LIU) 6-0, 6-0
5. Alex Bryant (FDU) def. Juweria Hussain (LIU) 7-5, 7-6
6. LIU def. FDU, by forfeit