Men's Bracket | Women's Bracket | Championship Central

NORFOLK, Va., April 25, 2019—The women’s top seed from the Northern Division fell in the quarterfinal round of the 2019 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tennis Championships at the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center, but the other three No. 1 seeds advanced.
 
On the women’s side, the morning action was highlighted by Bethune-Cookman’s 4-0 win over Northern Division top seed Norfolk State. The Wildcats opened the morning by taking the doubles point, and all six singles matches were highly contested. In fact, four of them went three sets – including the No. 1 position match between the MEAC Player of the Year (Naz Karagoz) and Rookie of the Year (Michelle Ncube).
 
That match didn’t finish, due in large part to Rehaana Butt of Bethune-Cookman – the 2018 MEAC Rookie of the Year – clinching the match with her No. 2 singles win over Paula Fortune, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.
 
Chalina Godbolt (No. 4) and Sheerly Bueno (No. 6) were also victorious for Bethune-Cookman.

Southern Division top seed South Carolina State made quick work of Coppin State Thursday morning, winning 4-0 to advance to Friday’s semifinal round. Andjela Mihajilovic led the way for the Lady Bulldogs, winning in the No. 1 slot 6-0, 6-1 over Shariah Dunwell.
 
In the late morning, North Carolina Central, the Southern Division No. 3 seed, took care of Howard 4-1. First Team All-MEAC selection Frida Cnossen clinched the match in the No. 1 singles position, taking it 6-1, 6-4 over Yassmine Khiri.
 
Florida A&M swept Delaware State 4-0 to complete the women’s quarterfinal round, meaning all four Southern Division teams in the field advanced to the semifinals.
 
Women’s semifinal action begins on Friday at 9 a.m., when Bethune-Cookman squares off against Florida A&M and South Carolina State takes on North Carolina Central.
 
The women’s championship final is set for Saturday at 9 a.m.
 
Both top seeds on the men’s side won in clean sweeps Thursday afternoon; South Carolina State, the top seed out of the Southern Division, took care of Coppin State 4-0 on the strength of the Nos. 4, 5 and 6 singles positions after taking the doubles point.
 
Omer Gorgun won his No. 4 singles match 6-0, 6-0, while Gerardo Bontifacio (No. 5 singles) went 6-1, 6-0 and Sel Bel Ali (No. 6 singles) won his match 6-0, 6-1.
 
Northern Division top seed Morgan State defeated Florida A&M 4-0 to advance to Friday’s semifinal; after the Bears made quick work of the doubles point, Arjun Ramakrishnan won the No. 1 singles match 6-1, 6-3.
 
First Team All-MEAC selection Nihit Rawal won his match as well, 6-0, 6-0 over Rodney Sturgis at No. 3 singles. Oguzhan Ceylan won the No. 4 singles match 6-4, 6-1 over Cardell Williams.
 
The evening session saw North Carolina Central, the No. 2 seed from the Southern Division, take care of Howard 4-0. The Eagles boast the Player of the Year in Gabriel Cucalon, but it was the bottom of their singles lineup who provided the bulk of the points.
 
After the Eagles took the doubles point, freshmen Christos Dagklis (6-2, 6-1) and Thanos Spyropolous (6-0, 6-3) won their respective matches at the Nos. 3 and 4 positions. Sebastian Bromley was also victorious at No. 5 singles, 6-0, 6-1.
 
Bethune-Cookman took care of Norfolk State 4-2 in the other evening quarterfinal, thanks to a Victor Castro defeating Andres Alcaraz 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 in the No. 2 singles position to clinch the match. The Wildcats got the doubles point, and Victor Bravo (No. 1) and Jose Plazas (No. 4) also picked up singles wins for Bethune-Cookman.
 
Men’s semifinal action starts at 12 p.m., with Morgan State squaring off against North Carolina Central. The other semifinal will see South Carolina State take on Bethune-Cookman.
 
The men’s championship final will be played on Saturday at 12 p.m.
 
The championship is free and open to the public.