WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 29, 2025) — Morgan State men's tennis team lost its fourth match in a row, falling 6-1 to South Carolina State in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Roundup on Friday at the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation. With the loss, the Bears fall to 3-13 (0-1 MEAC), while the Bulldogs improved to 8-3 (1-0 MEAC).
SCSU swept through the doubles portion of the match to jump out to a 1-0 lead. The Bear's number one duo of Mikeal Carpenter and Bertin Karenzi suffered a 6-2 loss to Mikalai Bankou and Novak Novakovic. The Bulldog's pairing of Aissa Benchakroun and Julius Augunas battled to a hard-fought 6-3 win at the number two spot to secure a win over Makkijha Brown and Mohamed Ridha Ghettas. This hard-earned win earned the doubles point for the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs came out swinging in the singles portion of the competition, immediately asserting their dominance. Aissa Benchakroun set the tone with a decisive victory over Karenzi on court three, showcasing a strong and strategic performance. The momentum continued as Novak Novakovic followed suit, overpowering Brown on court two. Yessine Kerouat faced a tough challenge and ultimately fell to Julius Augunas on court four.
Mikeal Carpenter provided a bright spot for the Bears on a tough day, securing a decisive 6-2, 6-0 victory against Mikalai Bankou on court one. Carpenter's dominant performance prevented a complete shutout for his team. This victory also marked a significant milestone for Carpenter, improving his impressive overall singles record to an outstanding 7-1.
NEXT UP: The Bears continue MEAC Roundup action on Saturday afternoon when they play North Carolina Central University at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Md. The Bears will conclude the MEAC Roundup against Norfolk State on Sunday in Washington, D.C.
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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.
