Men's Tennis | 10/2/2026 9:58:07 PM
CARY, N.C. — The MEAC Fall Tennis Invitational started Friday with singles and doubles matches, featuring big surprises in the men's quarterfinals and strong play in the women's events.
The women’s Round of 16 featured some strong performances, including NC Central’s Randy Rakotoarilala advanced with a solid 6-1, 6-3 win over Delaware State’s Ailyn Leon. Third seed Tyler Williams from Morgan State beat Howard’s Abigail Perue 6-1, 6-4. Norfolk State’s Julia Daroszewska won a long match against Howard’s Franchesca Brown, winning two tiebreakers for a 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(4) victory. Delaware State’s Sara Barbaric got past Imani Jean of Howard in three sets 6-1, 3-6, 6-1. Fourth seed Yuliya Yurkova of Norfolk State won 6-1, 7-6(5), and Delaware State’s Katerina Marsalkova beat Coppin State’s Kamora Helton 6-0, 6-2.
In the quarterfinals, top seed Pimmada Thongkum kept playing well, beating Rakotoarilala 6-1, 6-4. NSU’s Julia Daroszewska kept her streak going by surprising third seed Williams, 7-6(5), 6-1. Fourth seed Yuliya Yurkova won in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, against Barbaric. Second seed Michaela Stephens of Morgan State came back after losing the first set to beat Marsalkova 2-6, 7-6(6), 6-2.
In the Round of 16, Howard’s Michael Major started strong with a quick 6-2, 6-2 win over Coppin State’s Mpho Leshoele. NCCU’s Angel Maffezzoli worked hard to beat Aziz Missaoui of morgan State 6-2, 7-5. Ilya Maltsev from Morgan State had a clear 6-0, 6-1 win over Coppin State’s Andre Dogbefu. NCCU’s Sergio Lopez Guillen finished the round with a strong 6-0, 6-1 win against Howard’s Marcus Weekes.
?The quarterfinals saw Major pull off the tournament’s biggest surprise by beating top-seeded Iliyas Maratuly of South Carolina State in a tough three-set match, 7-5, 5-7, 6-4. Norfolk State’s Szymon Malecki, the third seed, kept his streak going by beating Maffezzoli 6-4, 6-0. Maltsev had another big win, knocking out fourth-seeded Marcin Andrzejczak of Norfolk State 6-1, 4-6, 6-2. Second seed Andrii Borodatiuk managed to narrowly beat Lopez Guillen 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.
In women’s doubles, Howard’s Imani Jean and Leah Thomas opened with a 6-0, 7-5 victory over DSU’s Kamora Helton and Ailyn Leon. Fourth-seeded Mariana Zottoli and Sara Barbaric of NCCU defeated Norfolk State’s Ines Sabadie and Kayla Kennedy 6-1, 6-2.
NCCU’s Randy Rakotoarilala and Patricia Henderson also advanced, winning 6-3, 7-5 against Coppin State’s Ferguson and Brandy Alexis Babcock-Hannah. Morgan State’s Tyler Williams and Michaela Stephens secured a 6-3, 6-1 win over Amr Shaker and Hongjumradsin. NC Central added two more victories as Valentina De Aquino Monsanto and Rodriguez defeated third-seeded Howard’s Franchesca Brown and Lauren Oliver 6-4, 6-2, while Torrelles Aguila and Bou Safon beat Coppin State's Abigail Perue and Kyla Proctor 6-2, 6-2.
Ending the night with men’s doubles, Howard’s Kendrick Lash and Marcus Weekes pulled out a tight straight-sets win over North Carolina Central’s Pol Puig Montiel and Leo Fortier-Gariepy, edging them 7-6(5), 6-4. Meanwhile, Norfolk State’s duo of Marcin Dojczynski and Kasper Kulpa delivered a dominant performance against Coppin State’s Dentry Mortimer and Flavius Henderson, cruising to a 6-1, 6-2 victory. Howard’s Michael Major and Yared Alfred ground out a hard-fought victory over Morgan State’s Aziz Missaoui and Yessine Kerouat, taking the match in straight sets 7-5, 7-5.
North Carolina Central’s Sergio Lopez Guillen and Mark Nawa earned a straight-sets victory, defeating Coppin State’s Andre Dogbefu and Leshoele Mpho 7-5, 6-4.
The MEAC Fall Tennis Invitational resumes Saturday, Oct. 3, with semifinal action set to begin at 9:00 a.m. at Cary Tennis Park.
About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) enters its 56th year of intercollegiate competition with the 2026–27 academic year. Headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, the MEAC is comprised of eight distinguished Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) along the Atlantic seaboard: Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina Central University, and South Carolina State University. Since its founding in 1970, the MEAC has been dedicated to promoting academic excellence, sportsmanship, and the personal growth of student athletes. For more information, visit www.MEACSports.com.