NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State women's tennis team got a taste of MEAC competition over the weekend, competing in the seventh annual NCCU Invitational in Durham, N.C.
 
The Spartans and host Eagles represented the MEAC among a total of nine institutions with players entered in the event. 55 players competed across three singles flights, as well as 27 duos in two doubles flights.
 
Aleksandra Evdokimova earned a 7-5, 6-4 singles victory over Western Carolina's Andrea Redondo in the A draw, before falling in a third-set tiebreak to Davidson's Emma Heiderscheit in the quarterfinals. Laura Ruiz also got a singles win, defeating Shaw's Michelle Blaha 6-2, 6-0 in the first round of the B draw. Amber Fuller added a victory in her consolation match, taking down Western Carolina's Darya Osadova 8-7 (4).
 
The Spartans also picked up a pair of doubles wins as well. Evdokimova and Fuller defeated NCCU's Kennedy Hill and Jandra Hidalgo Vega 6-3 in the A draw, while Niya Grant and Zada McMorris bested Shaw's Hafsa Sanhaji and Tennessee State's Aroa Arrieta Castillo 7-6 (8).