CARY, N.C., April 26, 2025 – The South Carolina State Bulldogs secured their fifth consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Men's Tennis Championship title with a 4–0 victory over North Carolina Central (NCCU) on April 26, 2025, at Cary Tennis Park in Cary, North Carolina.
With the victory, S.C. State won the MEAC's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tennis Tournament which begins May 2. The Bulldogs will learn their fate on Monday, April 28 during the NCAA Selection Show.
Match 11: No. 1 South Carolina State def. No. 2 North Carolina Central (M) | 4-0
South Carolina State clinched the crucial doubles point with victories at the No. 2 and No. 3 positions.
At No. 2 doubles,
Aissa Benchakroun and Julius Augunas defeated Kareem Abdul Hakim and Oliver Saarinen of NCCU 6–1.
The No. 3 pairing of
Iliyas Maratuly and
Ivan Pauliuchenka edged out Antoni Pankowski and Leo Fortier 7–5.
The No. 1 doubles match between Hugo Hidalgo and Rodrigo Alves (NCCU) and
Mikalai Bankou and
Novak Novakovic (SCSU) was left unfinished, tied at 5–5.
South Carolina State continued their dominance in singles play with
Mikalai Bankou defeating Hugo Hidalgo 6–1, 6–2 at No. 1 singles.
Iliyas Maratuly secured a 6–2, 6–4 win against Antoni Pankowski at No. 5 singles.?
Aissa Benchakroun clinched the championship with a 6–4, 6–2 victory over Rodrigo Alves at No. 3 singles.The remaining singles matches were left unfinished.
The win marks South Carolina State's 20th overall MEAC Men's Tennis Championship title, solidifying their status as a powerhouse in the conference. North Carolina Central's appearance in the final reflects the program's growth and competitive spirit throughout the season.
All-Tournament Honors
Outstanding Coach: Hardeep Judge, South Carolina State
Outstanding Player: Aissa Benchakroun, South Carolina State
All-Tournament Team
Singles 1: Mikael Carpenter, Morgan State
Singles 2: Makkijha Brown, Morgan State
Singles 3: Aissa Benchakroun, South Carolina State
Singles 4: Niles Rachel, Morgan State
Singles 5: Iliyas Muratuly, South Carolina State
Singles 6: Michele Elia, Norfolk State
Doubles 1: Rodrigo Alves & Hugo Hidalgo Vega, North Carolina Central
Doubles 2:
Aissa Benchakroun & Julius Augunas, North Carolina Central
Doubles 3: Iliyas Maratuly & Ivan Pauliuchenka, South Carolina State
For additional information, including brackets, team info, and live scoring, please visit the
Tennis Championship Central page at MEACSports.com.
