MILFORD MILL, MD (Feb. 15, 2025) – The Morgan State men's tennis team showed resilience on Saturday but ultimately fell 6-1 to Temple at Twin Lakes Raquet Club.
The Owls quickly seized momentum, sweeping two of the three matchups to claim the doubles point and take a 1-0 lead. Despite Morgan's efforts to rally, Temple's strong play set the tone for the singles competition.
The Bears' highlight came at No. 1 singles, where Mikeal Carpenter delivered a captivating performance, defeating Martim Marujo 7-5, 6-3 to put Morgan on the scoreboard. Carpenter's aggressive baseline play and precise shot-making kept Marujo off-balance. He capitalized on key break points and held serve under pressure to secure the straight-set victory.
"Honestly, I was trying to make sure I had a positive attitude and played every point hard," said Carpenter after the match. "I'm working on being professional with my tennis, as that's where I want to go."
At No. 2, Makkijha Brown fought hard but ultimately fell to Majnavirt Kolaric in three sets, 6-4, 1-6, 4-6. Meanwhile, Bertin Karenzi battled in a marathon match at No. 6, taking Alberto Blumenschein to a third-set tiebreaker before narrowly losing 3-6, 7-6, 9-11.
The Owls showcased their depth of talent in the singles competition, with Majnavirt Kolaric (No. 2), Aayush Bhat (No. 3), Pranav Nemani (No. 4), Dante Russo (No. 5), and Alberto Blumenschein (No. 6) all securing victories.
Next Up: The Bears will return to action on Wednesday, March 5, when they travel to Annapolis, Md., to face Navy.
How It Happened
Singles
No. 1 –Martim Marujo (TU) d. Mikeal Carpenter 7-5, 6-3
No. 2 –Majnavirt Kolaric (TU) d. Makkijha Brown (MSU) 6-4 1-6 4-6
No. 3 –Aayush Bhat (TU) d. Yessine Kerouat (MSU)1-6 5-7
No. 4 –Pranav Nemani (TU) d. Majdi Ben Abdelwahed (MSU)1-6 0-6
No. 5 – Dante Russo(TU) d. Mohamed Ridha Ghettas (MSU)0-6 2-6
No. 6 –Alberto Blumenschein (TU) d.Bertin Karenz (MSU) 3-6 7-6 9-11
Order of finish: 1,3,2,4,5,6
Doubles
No. 1 – Martim Marujo/ Majnavirt Kolaric (TU) d. Makkijha Brown/Mohamed Ridha Ghettas 1-6
No. 2 –Aayush Bhat/ Pranav Nemani (TU) d.Bertin Karenzi/Mikeal Carpenter (MSU) 7-5
No. 3 – Dante Russo/ Alberto Blumenschein(TU) d.Majdi Ben Abdelwahed/YessineKerouat(MSU) 1-6
Order of finish: 1,3,2
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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.
