POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – The Marist men's tennis team stepped out of conference play on Saturday, defeating a tough NJIT squad 5-2 at the Marist Tennis Pavilion.

The Red Foxes (10-3) started off the day by winning two out of the three doubles matches to take the point. Billy Bishop (Houston, Texas) and Dalen Klassen (St. Louis, Mo.) won at the top position 8-3 and Lorenzo Rossi (Lugano, Switzerland) and Joris Van Eck (Ospel, The Netherlands) won 8-1 at the third spot to clinch the point.

After NJIT, which had won 16 matches coming into the day, won at first singles, Klassen won his second match of the day by coming from behind to defeat his opponent at second singles 3-6, 6-4, 10-4.

Van Eck, Joseph Dube (Livonia, Mich.) and Fredrik Bjerke (Oslo, Norway) all cruised to straight set wins at fourth, fifth and sixth singles, respectively. Van Eck easily discarded his opponent 6-0, 6-1 while Dube coasted with a 6-1, 6-2 victory. Bjerke won just as effortlessly, 6-4, 6-1.

Even in the Red Foxes' two defeats, Rossi and Will Reznek (Toronto, Canada) each fought into a third set. Rossi fell at first singles 6-0, 3-6, 11-9 while Reznek dropped a 7-5, 4-6, 10-4 decision at the third position.

“We beat a very good NJIT team that has won eight matches in a row and I was very pleased with the doubles play of Bishop and Klassen and Van Eck and Rossi,” Head Coach Tim Smith said. “This was an excellent tune-up for the five MAAC matches we have coming up.”

The Red Foxes will host a MAAC doubleheader on Sunday, playing Loyola at 10 a.m. before taking on Rider at 2 p.m. Both the men's and women's teams will have their Senior Day ceremony prior to the 10 a.m. match.

Saturday's Results

Singles
Schultz (NJIT) def. Rossi (Marist): 6-0, 3-6, 11-9
Klassen (Marist) def. Norregaard (NJIT): 3-6, 6-4, 10-4
Alban (NJIT) def. Reznek (Marist): 7-5, 4-6, 10-5
Van Eck (Marist) def. Artursson (NJIT): 6-0, 6-1
Dube (Marist) def. Rousar (NJIT): 6-1, 6-2
Bjerke (Marist) def. Croad (NJIT): 6-4, 6-1

Doubles
Klassen/Bishop (Marist) def. Artursson/Rousar (NJIT): 8-3
Schultz/Norregaard (NJIT) def. Bjerke/Naglestad (Marist): 8-3
Rossi/Van Eck (Marist) def. Alban/Felich (NJIT): 8-1

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