PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (Feb. 20, 2026)--The Morgan State men's tennis team returned to the City of Brotherly Love on Saturday for the second time this season and the first since its season-opener at Drexel, this time to face the Temple.
 
The host Owls would end up holding off the Bears, 5-2 in a non-conference match at Legacy Tennis Center to earn their first win of the season.
 
Temple (1-4) claimed the doubles point and then claimed four of the singles contests.
 
Morgan State (1-3), which has now dropped two straight matches, claimed victory at No. 2 singles, following Ilya Maltsev's victory over Matteo Crespi Guzman 6-2, 6-2. The doubles tandem of Maltsev and Adbulraheem Isa earned a No. 3 win over Temple's Crespi and Harshith Pennabadi 7-6 (3).
 
Next up: Morgan State will look to bounce back when it battles Bryant on Sunday, Feb. 23 at 12:30 p.m. at Brigade Sports Complex in Annapolis, Md.
 
 
How It Happened
Doubles
No. 1 – Lance Cochran/Pranav Nemani (Temple) d. Majdi Ben Abdelwahed/Yessine Kerouat 6-3
No. 2 – Alberto Blumenschein/Oliver Aguilar (Temple) d. Roman Filima/Rhajzon Rankins 7-6 (2)
No. 3 – Ilya Maltsev/Abdulraheem Isa (Morgan) d. Matteo Crespi/Harshith Pennabadi 7-6 (3)
 
Singles
No. 1 – Aayush Bhat (Temple) d. Rhajzon Rankins 6-3, 6-3
No. 2 – Ilya Maltsev (Morgan) d. Matteo Crespi Guzman 6-2, 6-2
No. 3 – Oliver Aguilar (Temple) d. Majdi Ben Abdelwahed 7-6, 4-6, 7-4
No. 4 – Alberto Blumenschein (Temple) d. Yessine Kerouat 6-2, 6-1
No. 5 – Pranav Nemani (Temple) d. Abdulraheem Isa 6-4, 6-3
 
 
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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.