NORFOLK, Va., March 23, 2022—North Carolina Central senior Sebastian Pino was named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Men’s Tennis Player of the Week, presented by Coca-Cola, the conference office announced today, while Morgan State’s Niles Rachal was named Rookie of the Week. Morgan State freshman Hannah Smith was named Women’s Tennis Player of the Week, and Howard’s Jordan Grayson was named Rookie of the Week.
Pino (Sr., Caracas, Venezuela) was a perfect 6-0 at the MEAC Round-Up, winning all three singles matches and all three doubles contests. At No. 2 singles, Pino picked up wins over Howard’s Tory Bailey (7-6, 7-6), Coppin State’s Dean Waterman (6-1, 6-2) and Morgan State’s Makkijha Brown (6-2, 6-1). He was also victorious in all three doubles matches, pairing with Oliver Saarinen at No. 2.
Rachal (Fr., Woodstock, Ga.) won 6-0, 6-1 against Norfolk State’s Ibrahim Abbas at the No. 3 singles position at the MEAC Round-Up, while also pairing with Rhajzon Rankins for a 6-0 doubles victory. Rachal then wrapped up the weekend with a 6-1, 6-3 win over North Carolina Central’s Shaka Cristellotti at the No. 5 spot to give Rachal a 2-0 singles mark for the weekend.
Smith (Fr., Columbia, Md.) was a perfect 6-0 at the MEAC Round-Up this past weekend, winning all three singles matches in straight sets and taking all three of her doubles matches with partner Anabel Aran. She defeated North Carolina Central’s Kennedy Hill 7-5, 6-3, before winning 6-3, 6-2 over Norfolk State’s Amber Fuller and South Carolina State’s Teodora Vujicic 6-4, 6-4. All three victories came at the No. 2 position.
Grayson (Fr., Gaithersburg, Md.) won all three singles matches at the No. 1 spot, while also going a perfect 3-0 in doubles play. She opened the MEAC Round-Up with an 0-6, 6-2, 6-2 win over Norfolk State’s Aleksandra Evdokimova before winning 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) over Rachida Berjane of South Carolina State and 7-6 (8-6), 6-1 over North Carolina Central’s Jade Houston. Her three doubles wins all came with Sifa Butcher.
Other Top Performers
Kit Yi Kaye Ay-Yeung (Delaware State) went 3-1 in singles play and 4-0 in doubles play at the MEAC Round-Up.
Samara Guillory (Delaware State) notched singles victories over South Carolina State, North Carolina Central and Norfolk State.
Marcel Dawson (Howard) won 6-4, 6-3 over North Carolina Central’s Amit Baran and 6-2, 6-1 over Norfolk State’s Hugo Massoni Lena at the MEAC Round-Up.
Sebastian Lopez (Morgan State) won all three of his singles matches at the MEAC Round-Up, defeating Norfolk State’s Jeremiah Zellander (6-0, 6-0), South Carolina State’s Ivan Pauluychenko (6-0, 6-4) and North Carolina Central’s LaQuon Gilchrist (6-1, 6-2).
Aleksandra Evdokimova (Norfolk State) went 3-1 in doubles play at the MEAC Round-Up, while also picking up a singles win over Morgan State’s Averiana Mitchell (6-3, 7-5).
Amber Fuller (Norfolk State) was a combined 6-2 at the MEAC Round-Up, going 3-1 each in singles and doubles play.
Hugo Massoni Lena (Norfolk State) went 2-1 in doubles play at the MEAC Round-Up.
Federico Rebecchini (Norfolk State) defeated Howard’s Justin Cadeau (6-4, 6-7 [6-8], 1-0 [10-8]) and Coppin State’s Luka Markovic (6-1, 6-1) at the MEAC Round-Up.
Kennedy Hill (North Carolina Central) won singles matches against North Carolina A&T State, Coppin State and Delaware State.
Maria Picazo (North Carolina Central) was 4-0 in singles play at the MEAC Round-Up, while also going 2-2 in doubles action.
Benjamin Niv (South Carolina State) went 3-0 in singles play and 2-0 in doubles action at the MEAC Round-Up.
Nalanda Silva (South Carolina State) won all four of her singles matches at the MEAC Round-Up at the No. 4 position.