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West Windsor, NJ -- On a summer-like, 85-degree sunny day in West Windsor, NJ, seven of the eight higher seeds stood their ground on the opening day of the 2023 Northeast Conference Tennis Championships.

Providing the day's lone drama were the St. Francis Brooklyn women, who recorded the lone upset in a historic win for the program.

The three-day event marks the 22nd straight year the tournament is being contested at the award-winning Mercer County Parks facility.

Looking to reclaim its crown after being upset last spring, top-seeded LIU received a bye directly into Saturday's semis on the women's side. Waiting in the wings for the Sharks is No. 5 St. Francis Brooklyn, a 4-2 winner over No. 4 Saint Francis U in a marathon match to end the day. For the Terriers, it marked the program's first-ever NEC Tournament victory and it came courtesy of #6 singles player Valentine Mudry, who rallied from a set down to post the clinching 3-6, 7-6 (1), 6-1 win that set off a raucous celebration. SFBK also came back from a set down at the No. 5 flight with Nicolle Romero earning a 3-6, 7-6 (1), 6-0 triumph. Two of LIU's potential championship challegers each registered 4-0 victories to advance, as No. 2 Sacred Heart blanked No. 7 Wagner and No. 3 FDU took down No. 6 Merrimack, a team making its NEC postseason debut. For a Pioneer team hoping to win its first NEC crown, Aina Garriga (6-1, 6-0), Ciara O'Toole (6-0, 6-2) & Flavia Rambaldi (6-0, 6-0) combined to drop just three games in the bottom half of the singles lineup. Looking for their first title since 2016, FDU was led by Gauri Bhagia, who posted a 6-3, 6-0 victory at the #3 spot. The Knights have advanced to the NEC semis 15 straight years.

While the top-seeded St. Francis Brooklyn men received a bye, arch rival, No. 2 seed and defending champion FDU rolled to a 4-0 win over No. 7 seed Saint Francis U to move on to the semifinals for the 17th consecutive season. FDU star Justas Trainauskas has been a one-man wrecking crew as of late and today was no different. The sophomore scored a 6-1, 6-2 win at #1 singles to push his win streak to eight and his overall record to 25-4 on the year. The Knights will take on No. 3 Sacred Heart in Saturday's semis after the Pios ousted No. 6 Merrimack, 4-0, in the first-ever NEC Tournament appearance for the Warriors. SHU received strong performances in the top half of the lineup from Matyas Vencl and Alberto Mello, who won by identical 6-2, 6-3 scores. In the other half of the bracket, No. 4 LIU made quick work of No. 5 Wagner, conceding just 25 games across six singles matches. LIU sophomore Philip Hilble was dominant at the top spot, winning 6-1, 6-0 to improve to 5-1 in NEC play this season. The Sharks will meet up with SFBK in tomorrow's semis.

Action begins on Saturday at 9:00 am with the two men’s semifinal matches. The women’s semis will follow not before 11:30 am. The men’s and women’s title matches will culminate the three day tournament on Championship Sunday. The two winners will go on to represent the NEC in the NCAA Tournament.

2023 Northeast Conference Tennis Championships
at Mercer County Tennis Center
West Windsor, NJ

Friday, April 14

Men's First Round
#2 FDU def. #7 Saint Francis U, 4-0
#3 Sacred Heart def. #6 Merrimack, 4-0
#4 LIU def. #5 Wagner, 4-0

Women’s First Round
#2 Sacred Heart def. #7 Wagner, 4-0
#3 FDU def. #6 Merrimack. 4-0
#5 St. Francis Brooklyn def. #4 Saint Francis U, 4-0

Saturday, April 15

Men’s Semifinal Matches - 9:00 am
#1 St. Francis Brooklyn vs. #4 LIU
#2 FDU vs. #3 Sacred Heart

Women’s Semifinal Matches - Not before 11:30 am
#1 LIU vs. #4 St. Francis Brooklyn
#2 Sacred Heart vs. #3 FDU

Sunday, April 16

Men’s Championship Match - 10:00 am
Women’s Championship Match - 1:00 pm