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Events and Results

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Men's Tennis

Men's Tennis Drops to No. 6 Wake Forest in the NCAA Tournament

Winston Salem, N.C. May 3, 2024 — The South Carolina State Men's Tennis team made their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance where they faced No. 6 Wake Forest. 
 
Despite a number of games won throughout all six singles matches, the Bulldogs dropped a 4-0 decision to Wake Forest in round one of the NCAA Tournament. 
 
South Carolina State's Aissa Benchakroun and Benjamin Niv matched up at No. 1 doubles against Wake Forest's Holden Koons and Suresh Ekambaram.  The Bulldog's duo grabbed a pair of wins in a 6-2 loss to Deacons, while Novak Novakovic and Mikalai Bankou of South Carolina State also dropped 6-2 to Wake Forest's Filippo Moroni and Matthew Thompson at No. 2 doubles. 
 
At No. 1 singles, Novakovic and Moroni had a 3-3 tie in the first set, before Novakovic embarked on a three-game run, for a 6-3 victory in the first set. 
 
Gabriel Johnson saw action for South Carolina State at No. 6 singles against Luca Pow.  After losing the first set 6-1, Johnson led the second set 5-4 before the match went unfinished. 
 
Bankou matched up against Ekambaram at No. 2 singles taking a 6-4 loss in the first set. After trailing 4-3 in the second set, he had a 40-0 lead for game point to tie before the match was declared unfinished. 
 
At No. 3 singles, Benchakroun won four games in loss of the first set against Matthew Thomson, then dropped the second set 6-1. 
 
Ivan Pauliuchenka won a total of five games in a two-set loss against Koons at No. 6 singles. 
 
Niv dropped both sets against Wake Forest's Luciano Tacchi at No 4. singles. 
 
S.C. State finished the 2024 season with a 14-8 record after claiming their fourth consecutive MEAC championship, the program's 19th overall. 
 
 
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Players Mentioned

Aissa Benchakroun

Aissa Benchakroun

6' 8"
Junior
Novak Novakovic

Novak Novakovic

6' 2"
Sophomore
Mikalai Bankou

Mikalai Bankou

6' 1"
Sophomore
Gabriel Johnson

Gabriel Johnson

6' 5"
Junior
Ivan Pauliuchenka

Ivan Pauliuchenka

6' 0"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Aissa Benchakroun

Aissa Benchakroun

6' 8"
Junior
Novak Novakovic

Novak Novakovic

6' 2"
Sophomore
Mikalai Bankou

Mikalai Bankou

6' 1"
Sophomore
Gabriel Johnson

Gabriel Johnson

6' 5"
Junior
Ivan Pauliuchenka

Ivan Pauliuchenka

6' 0"
Junior