Match 21 (MEAC Semifinal)
#4 Morgan State (6-14) vs. #1 South Carolina State (14-4)
Date: Friday, April 26, 2024
Site: Cary, N.C. | Cary Tennis Park
First Pitch: 9 a.m.
TV: ESPN+
Watch: Here
Live Stats: Here
Tournament Central: Here
 
CARY, N.C. (April 25, 2024)--Fresh off its 4-3 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) quarterfinal victory over fifth-seeded North Carolina Central (NCCU) on Thursday, Morgan State is set to take on defending MEAC champion, South Carolina State in a semifinal match on Friday, April 26 at 9 a.m. at Cary Tennis Park. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
 
On Thursday morning, Morgan State (6-14) began its quest for the program's third MEAC tennis championship and first since 2018, when the fourth seeded Lady Bears defeated NCCU, 4-3 in a thrilling quarterfinal match.
 
Tied at 3-3, all eyes were on Court 6 for the final contest of the match, as Morgan State's Stefania Moysiadi and North Carolina Central's Lafi Joao squared off in a No. 6 singles contest. With it being the final contest of the match, it was only fitting that the two would go the distance.
 
Moysiadi would drop the first set, 6-4 and bounced back to win the second set, 7-5 to force a third and decisive set. Leading 3-2, Moysiadi would claim the next three games to cruise to a 6-2 victory and send the Lady Bears to the semifinal round.
 
South Carolina State (14-4, 6-0 MEAC), which received a bye into the semifinal round for being the top seed, has won a league-best 17 MEAC championships. The defending champion Lady Bulldogs have won three straight crowns and have captured the title in six of the past seven played championships. The 2020 season was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Morgan State captured the 2018 title.
 
The Lady Bulldogs enter the tournament on a three-match winning streak and winners of 10 of their last 11 matches. In its last outing, S.C. State was a 4-1 winner on the road at Davidson (4/20) in the regular season finale.
 
South Carolina State had four members earn All-MEAC team honors, including senior Sofiya Chursina, who was named MEAC Player of the Year. Chursina was joined on the All-MEAC first team by senior teammates Semlali Hind and Nalanda Silva. Fellow senior Rachida Berjane was named to the All-MEAC second team. Lady Bulldogs head coach Hardeep Judge was named MEAC Coach of the Year.
 
 
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.