Men's Tennis | 10/3/2026 8:10:30 PM
CARY, N.C. — Howard’s Michael Major defeated third seed Szymon Malecki in straight sets. South Carolina State secured an all-Bulldog Men’s Open Doubles final, headlining Saturday’s schedule at the MEAC Tennis Invitational at Cary Tennis Park.
In women’s singles, Norfolk State’s Julia Daroszewska defeated South Carolina State’s Pimmada Thongkum in a thrilling three-set match, 6–4, 4–6, 6–2. Morgan State’s Michaela Stephens beat Norfolk State’s Yuliya Yurkova 6–1, 7–5.
In the men's singles, second seed Andrii Borodatiuk won over Ilya Maltsev 6–4, 6–3, while Howard’s Michael Major upset third seed Szymon Malecki 7–5, 6–4. With the straight-set win at Cary Tennis Park, Major punched his ticket to the final round to meet Borodatiuk, capping a dominant stretch in the tournament's men's singles draw.
Norfolk State’s Julia Daroszewska and Yuliya Yurkova won 6–2, 6–2 over Delaware State’s Celia Torrelles Aguila and Maite Bou Safont. South Carolina State matched that with a 6–2, 6–2 win by Pimmada Thongkum and Katerina Marsalkova against Howard’s Imani Jean and Leah Thomas. North Carolina Central swept their matches, led by Mariana Zottoli and Sara Barbaric (6–2, 6–3) and Valentina De Aquino Monsanto and Carlota Rodriguez Sanchez (6–4, 6–2).
On the men’s side, South Carolina State’s second-seeded pair Julius Augunas and Alan Aiukhanov held off a tough opening set to beat Norfolk State’s Marcin Dojczynski and Kasper Kulpa 7–6(3), 6–1. Norfolk State bounced back as Marcin Andrzejczak and Szymon Malecki rallied to win a 10–4 super-tiebreaker against NCCU’s Sergio Lopez Guillen and Mark Nawa. Morgan State’s Ilya Maltsev and Abdulraheem Isa also edged Howard’s Kendrick Lash and Marcus Weekes 6–4, 5–7, [10–4] after a tiebreaker.
In women's doubles, North Carolina Central's Valentina De Aquino Monsanto and Carlota Rodriguez Sanchez rallied from a set down to win 1–6, 7–5, [10–3] over Norfolk State's second-seeded duo Julia Daroszewska and Yuliya Yurkova. Meanwhile, Pimmada Thongkum and Katerina Marsalkova of South Carolina State reached the finals by holding off North Carolina Central's Mariana Zottoli and Sara Barbaric in a competitive 6–2, 7–6(1) straight-set decision.
In the semifinal on Court 3, South Carolina State's Andrii Borodatiuk and Iliyas Maratuly beat Norfolk State’s Marcin Andrzejczak and Szymon Malecki 6-4, 6-2. On Court 4, South Carolina State’s Julius Augunas and Alan Aiukhanov completed the semifinal sweep by defeating Morgan State’s Ilya Maltsev and Abdulraheem 7-5, 6-3. Borodatiuk and Maratuly will face teammates Augunas and Aiukhanov in the Men's Doubles final.
The MEAC Fall Tennis Invitational concludes Sunday, Oct. 4, with final-round matches beginning 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.