Box Score CARY, N.C. (April 28, 2022)-The Morgan State women's tennis team began the 2022 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tennis Championships with a dominant 4-0 performance over rival Coppin State on Thursday morning at the Cary Tennis Park.

With the win, the second-seeded Lady Bears advanced to face defending champion and No. 3 seed, South Carolina State in semifinal action on Friday at 9 a.m. The Lady Bulldogs defeated No. 6 Norfolk State, 4-0, thus setting up a matchup between the league's last two champions.

Thursday's quarterfinal victory was Morgan State's first match back in the MEAC Tennis Championships since winning the title in 2018, thus ending a four-year hiatus. In 2019, the team was ineligible to compete in the postseason and the 2020 season was cut short due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which caused the MEAC championships to be canceled. Last season the Morgan State women's program opted out of playing the 2021 campaign.

Doubles (3,2)
The Lady Bears (9-10-1) got going by claiming the doubles point over Coppin State to take a 1-0.

Stefania Moysiadi and Nolwenn Cardoso were paired at No. 3 and captured the first doubles victory of the match with a 6-1 defeat of the Eagles' team of Mackenzie Jones and Cristy Turner.

Morgan State then wrapped up the point when Hannah Smith and Anabel Aran earned a No. 2 doubles victory over Lucia Placidi and Kristina Georgieva, 6-1.

Singles (6,5,3)
The Lady Bears increased their lead to 2-0 when Asmara Rose defeated Jones, 6-1, 6-1 at a No. 6 singles match.

Aran followed with a 6-2, 6-1 victory at No. 5 over Megan Etienne to give the Lady Bears a 3-0 lead.

Averiana Mitchell secured the win for Morgan State with her No. 3 win over Placidi 6-1, 6-2.

"I'm feeling great," said Mitchell following the win. "I'm excited to finally be back and playing at championships for the first time in my collegiate career. I'm ready."

Next Up
The Lady Bears and South Carolina State (SCSU) will meet for the second time this season. Morgan State defeated the Bulldogs by a score of 4-3 back in March at this very site in the finale of the MEAC Round-Up. The Lady Bears led 4-1 when they wrapped up the victory, before SCSU closed out winning the final two singles matches.

The last time the two teams met in the MEAC Championships, was April 26, 2018 in Norfolk, Va. Morgan State would defeat then defending champion South Carolina State, 4-1 in the quarterfinal round.