HACKENSACK, N.J. – The LIU Brooklyn women's tennis team won its third straight Northeast Conference match Friday afternoon, upending the defending champion Fairleigh Dickinson Knights, 4-3. With the win, LIU moves to 9-5 overall, and 5-0 in league action.

The Blackbirds rallied from an early defeat to take the doubles point from the Knights. After FDU had a 6-1 win in the No. 3 singles spot, LIU was able to win in the top two spots. Sophomore Anna Grigoryan and freshman Ana Leonte won at No. 1 singles, 6-1, and sophomore Malin Leysen and freshman Sasha Bollweg clinched the point with a 6-3 win at No. 2 doubles.

The Blackbirds had an early 1-0 lead that Leysen made 2-0, with her win at No. 4 singles, when Katarina Pavlovic retired after going down in the first set, 5-0. FDU would get on the board with a win at No. 5 singles, where Liza Rachenko defeated Leonte, 6-3, 6-1.  Bollweg put LIU on top, 3-1 with her win at No.2 singles, where she beat Marta Ruszczynska in straight set, 6-4, 6-4.

Freshman Jennifer Gogova clinched the match win for LIU in the No. 3 spot, where she beat Tatiana Eftenoiu in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4. With the Blackbirds up, 4-1, FDU took two wins in the Nos. 6 and 1 singles spots. Patricia Efteroiu beat senior Isabella Wagener in the No. 6 spot, 6-2, 6-4, and Shreya Pasricha defeated Grigoryan in the top singles spot, 6-4, 4-6, 11-9.

The Blackbirds wrap up the regular season with a Saturday match at Stony Brook, taking on the Seawolves, Saturday April 15 at 2 p.m.
 
LIU Brooklyn 4, Fairleigh Dickinson 3

Doubles:

1. Anna Grigoryan/Ana Leonte (LIU) def. Shreva Pasricha/Marta Ruszczynska (FDU), 6-2
2. Sasha Bollweg/Malin Leysen (LIU) def. Tatiana Efteroiu/Katarina Pavlovic (FDU), 6-3
3. Patricia Eftenoiu/Liza Rachenko (FDU) def. Jennifer Gogova/Isabella Wagener (LIU), 6-1

Order of finish: 3, 1, 2*

Singles

1. Shreya Pasricha (FDU) def. Anna Grigoryan (LIU), 6-4, 4-6, 11-9
2. Sasha Bollweg (LIU) def. Marta Ruszczynska (FDU), 6-4, 6-4
3. Jennifer Gogova (LIU) def. Tatiana Eftenoiu (FDU), 6-1, 6-4
4. Malin Leysen (LIU) def. Katarina Pavlovic (FDU), 5-0, ret.
5. Liza Rachenko (FDU) def. Ana Leonte (LIU), 6-3, 6-1
6. Patricia Efteroiu (FDU) def. Isabella Wagener (LIU), 6-2, 6-4

Order of finish: 4, 5, 2, 3* 6, 1