South Carolina State Men’s Tennis Claimed the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship Title

NORFOLK, Va. — The South Carolina State men’s tennis team claimed the 2024 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) regular season championship title for the second straight season, after defeating North Carolina Central 4-3 in the regular season conference finale.  

SCSU finished with an undefeated conference record of 5-0 and will enter the MEAC Tennis Championship Tournament, April 25-27, 2024, as the number one seed. 

The Bulldogs swept the Eagles in doubles play to take the first point of the match. At No. 1 doubles, South Carolina State’s Gabriel Johnson and Ivan Pauliuchenka defeated North Carolina Central’s Shaka Cristekkotti and Lugas Artigas (6-4), while Novak Novakovic and Mikalai Bankou won at No. 2 doubles against Hugo Hidalgo Vega and Leo Fortier Gariepy with final score of 6-4.  

The Bulldogs collected three points with victories at No. 2 singles, No. 5 singles, and No. 6 singles.  At No. 2 singles, SCSU’s Mikalai Bankou defeated NCCU’s Kareem Abdul Hakim 6-1 in both sets.  Fellow Bulldog’s Pauliuchenka defeated Cristellotti in two sets at No. 5 singles (6-2,6-3), and Lika Stefanovic added a point at No. 6 singles in a two-set win (6-0, 6-1) against the NCCU’s Artigas.   

South Carolina State had a strong showing at the MEAC Roundups, where they went 7-0 against both Morgan State and Coppin State and went on to defeat Howard 6-1.   

The win streak continued following with a 5-2 victory against Norfolk State, before wrapping up conference play with a 4-3 win over N.C. Central clinching the regular season title.