Florida A&M Sweeps Hampton
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Hampton University tennis teams started their 2016 Spring Break swing through Florida on Sunday and lost a pair of 5-2 matches to Florida A&M in a non-conference matchup.
In the men’s matchup, the Pirates scored wins at No. 1 singles as Matthew Foster-Estwick took a three-set decision over Courage Okungbowa 6-2, 4-6, 1-0 (10-8), while Miguel Suarez won at No. 5 singles over Jalen Evans 6-3, 6-0. During doubles, the No. 3 team of Charles Hudson and Suarez defeated Evans and Karlyn Small 7-5, but the Rattlers won at No. 1 and No. 2 to take the team point.
The hosts won singles at No. 2-4 and at No. 6 all in straight sets with C. Agustin Waitman taking a 6-0, 6-2 win at No. 3 leading the run in singles. In doubles, the top two flights won as Courage Okungbowa and Illya Skoromnyy survived a tough 7-5 decision over Peter Odegbami and Shirin.
In the women’s match, the Lady Pirates took a win also at No. 1 singles by Mariam Mitaishvii who defeated Alexis Dean 3-6, 7-6, 1-0 (10-4). Mikaela Pierce won at No. 3 over Olivia Rolle 6-4, 0-6, 6-1. In doubles, the No. 2 team of Julia d’Auvergne and Cherise Slocombe took a 7-5 win over Dominique Henry and Rolle for the lone Hampton win.
FAMU won four matches by straight sets in singles, including a 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 4 by Henry over d’Auvergne and a 6-1, 6-0 win by Arrice Robinson at No. 5 over Daneya Charles. In doubles, the top two flights won 6-1 at No. 1 and 7-5 at No. 2.
For more information visit www.famuathletics.com or www.hamptonpirates.com
North Carolina Central Sweeps Howard
DURHAM, N.C. – In a non-divisional match between two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference schools, host North Carolina Central swept Howard 4-3 on the men and 4-1 on the women.
For the men’s match, sophomore Kert Kilumets and freshmen Gabriel Cucalon and Davide Callegari all won in singles action to lift the North Carolina Central University men’s tennis team to a narrow 4-3 win over Howard University on Sunday afternoon at the NCCU Tennis Courts.
The Eagles garnered their first win of the season to improve to 1-7 overall. The Bison remained winless on the campaign at 0-10.
With only five active players, NCCU won the key doubles point to start the match that cost them the loss in a 4-3 setback to North Carolina A&T State University two days earlier.
Kilumeets partnered with senior Thomas Persico for a 6-2 win in the second draw and then the freshmen duo of Cucalon and Callegari clinched the team doubles point with a 6-3 win in the top draw. Cucalon and Callegari trailed 3-2 before rattling off the next four games to win their third straight match and improve to 3-4 as a team.
Cucalon put the Eagles ahead, 2-1, after NCCU forfeited the sixth singles match with a win on court two. Cucalon (5-3) won in straight sets by matching 6-3 scores for his team-high fifth singles conquest.
Howard tied the match briefly at 2-all with a fourth court win by junior Laguna Foster Jr., but Callegari won in the third spot in the lineup to put NCCU ahead for a third time. Callegari (3-5) needed one more game than Cucalon to win by a 6-4, 6-3 margin.
Kilumets knocked off 2015 All-MEAC Second Team selection junior Ismael Kaouache in the marquee singles match minutes after Callegari’s win to complete the NCCU victory. Kilumets (3-5) needed three sets to dispose of Kaouache by a score of 6-0, 1-6, 6-3.
NCCU returns to action against MEAC Southern Division rival Florida A&M University in Tallahassee on Sunday, March 13 at 1 p.m.
In the women’s match, seniors Aissa Muamba and Mia Ramic and sophomore Jamie Rogers all won their singles matches in leading the North Carolina Central University women’s tennis team to a 4-1 win over Howard.
The Lady Eagles improved to 2-6 on the season. NCCU is in the Southern Division of the MEAC and the Bison (2-4) are in the Northern Division so the contest did not count on either squad’s league ledger.
NCCU started the contest by securing the doubles team point with wins by its second and third tandems. Ramic and junior partner Lynsey Cover coasted to a 6-1 win. Junior Tamara Jeremic and freshman Jasmine Gabriel secured the final tilt 6-3. Muamba and Rogers were leading 4-3 when play was stopped.
Muamba rolled to her top tier singles win with matching 6-3 set victories. Muamba leveled her singles record to 3-3 with the straight-set win.
Rogers pulled the Lady Eagles within one point of the team win by dominating her decisive third set in a 6-2, 4-6, 6-0 victory on court four. Rogers (3-4) matches Muamba with a team-high three singles wins.
Ramic proved to be the clinching conquest at the third slot in the lineup. Ramic also needed three sets before prevailing by a 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 margin.
Cover was leading her match at No. 5 by a 6-3, 1-0 score when the match concluded in favor of the Lady Eagles.
Howard (2-4) earned its lone point from junior Jessica Josiah.
For more information visit www.nccueaglepride.com or www.hubison.com