HAMDEN, Conn. – Fairfield University Women's Tennis will send two Stags to the quarterfinals of the MAAC Masters Tournament. Reigning champion Anna Neyestani defended her #3 seed with a win in the Round of 16 on Friday afternoon at Quinnipiac, while Regina Herrera won a pair of matches to join her in the tournament's final eight. Sophia Harris also earned a victory on Friday in her MAAC Masters debut.
 
Neyestani, who received a bye to the Round of 16, topped Venus Tang of Mount St. Mary's in straight sets to punch her ticket to Saturday's quarterfinals. The defending champion of the MAAC Masters will challenge #6-seeded Ola Irla Bartyzel of Sacred Heart in the next round.
 
Herrera needed to win twice to advance to Saturday, defeating Siena's Manuela Gomez in a tiebreak followed by a 7-5, 6-1 win over Anagha Shankar of Quinnipiac. Herrera's next test will be Marist's Viktoria Lorentzon.

The semifinals will also be held on Saturday in Hamden, with the finals set for Sunday.
 
Harris defeated a seeded player in #8 Hana Hofmanova of Sacred Heart – 6-3, 6-1 – in the Round of 32 but was upended by Niagara's Saloni Tamang to see her tournament come to an end.
 
In addition to Saturday's singles action, Fairfield will have two teams on the doubles courts at QU. The #4-seeded tandem of Neyestani and Maria Gell meets the Mount pairing of Venus Tang and Isabella Pescatore in the Round of 16, while Harris and Herrera challenge Rider's duo Elle Catanzarite and Jolie Kaiser.
 
The doubles quarterfinals are also slated for Saturday, and the "final four" will be contested on Sunday.
 
MAAC Masters Tournament Saturday Schedule
All match times later than 9 a.m. are TBD
 
Singles
Quarterfinals: Anna Neyestani vs. Ola Irla Bartyzel (Sacred Heart), 9 a.m.
Quarterfinals: Regina Herrera vs. Viktoria Lorentzon (Marist), 9 a.m.
Winners will play in the semifinals later in the day
 
Doubles
Round of 16: Maria Gell/Anna Neyestani vs. Pescatore/Tang (Mount St. Mary's)
Round of 16: Sophia Harris/Regina Herrera vs. Catanzarite/Kaiser (Rider)
Winners will play in the quarterfinals later in the day