NORFOLK, Va. (April 28, 2025) — Morgan State seniors Mikeal Carpenter, Makkijha Brown and Niles Rachal were named to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) All-Tournament Team, following Saturday's men's title match between South Carolina State and North Carolina Central.
Carpenter, playing at No. 1 singles and Rachal at No. 4 singles, both went 2-0 in singles play over the weekend, each picking up wins against Howard and South Carolina State. Brown went 1-1 at No. 2 singles.
Fueled by the momentum of his MEAC Player of the Year title, Carpenter entered the tournament with a clear mission, and his performance left no doubt about his dominance. He started strong in the quarterfinals, dispatching Howard's Michael Major in a convincing 7-5, 6-2 victory, showcasing a blend of power and precision. Carpenter then carried that intensity into the semifinals, where he faced South Carolina State's Mikalai Bankou. He continued his impressive run with a decisive 6-4, 6-1 win.
Hailing from Woodstock, Georgia, Rachal proved to be a force to be reckoned with on the court. He started strong with a decisive 6-0, 6-3 victory over Howard's Kendrick Lash, setting a confident tone for his matches. Rachal then faced a tougher challenge in the semifinals against the Bulldog's Julius Augunas. After a hard-fought battle, he emerged with a crucial 6-4, 6-4 win, propelling the Bears into a 3-2 lead in the competition.
Brown, a Richmond, Va. product, dropped a 6-3, 6-2 decision in the quarterfinals versus Howard's Kaosie Nwokedi, before rebounding with a grind-out 6-3, 7-5 win against South Carolina State's Novak Novakovic.
Carpenter, Brown and Rachal were joined on the all-tournament singles team by South Carolina State's Aissa Benchakroun (No. 3) and Iliyas Muratuly (No. 5), and Norfolk State's Michele Elia (No. 6).
South Carolina State's Hardee Judge was named Outstanding Coach of the tournament, Aissa Benchakroun was named Outstanding Player.
All-Tournament Honors
Outstanding Coach: Hardeep Judge, South Carolina State
Outstanding Player: Aissa Benchakroun, South Carolina State
All-Tournament Team
Singles 1: Mikael Carpenter, Morgan State
Singles 2: Makkijha Brown, Morgan State
Singles 3: Aissa Benchakroun, South Carolina State
Singles 4: Niles Rachel, Morgan State
Singles 5: Iliyas Muratuly, South Carolina State
Singles 6: Michele Elia, Norfolk State
Doubles 1: Rodrigo Alves & Hugo Hidalgo Vega, North Carolina Central
Doubles 2: Aissa Benchakroun & Julius Augunas, North Carolina Central
Doubles 3: Iliyas Maratuly & Ivan Pauliuchenka, South Carolina State
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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.
