MEAC Announces Weekly Tennis Honors
NORFOLK, Va. — South Carolina State sophomore Mikalai Bankou and Coppin State senior Vansh Kapoor were named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Men’s Tennis Co-Players of the Week, presented by Coca-Cola.
South Carolina State senior Hind Semlali was named MEAC Women’s Tennis Player of the Week, presented by Coca-Cola.
Bankou (So., Belarus) won both of his singles and doubles matches to contribute to a 4-3 victory against North Carolina Central, clinching the 2024 MEAC Regular Season Championship title for the second consecutive season. Bankou teamed up with teammate Novak Novakovic to take down Hugo Hidalgo Vega and Leo Fortier at No. 2 doubles. Following the doubles victory, he defeated Kareem Abdul Hakim 6-1 in both sets at No. 2 singles.
Kapoor (Sr., New Delhi, India) won both doubles and singles matches at the No. 1 spot to bring the only point for Coppin State against Howard. Kapoor paired up with teammate Harsh Kheterpal at No. 1 doubles in a 6-2 victory against the Bison’s Michael Major Jr. and Justin Cadeau. Kapoor’s victory against Marcel Dawson at No. 1 singles (6-4, 6-4) marks the first (finished) No. 1 singles match win between the two teams since the 2008-09 season.
Semlali (Sr., Casablanca, Morocco) lead her team to a victory 4-3 against North Carolina Central to help the Bulldogs claim the 2024 MEAC regular season championship title for the second straight season. Samlali paired up with teammate Sofiya Chursina in a No. 1 doubles win against North Carolina Central’s Candice Bernier and Jade Houston (6-2). At No. 2 singles, Semalali defeated Houston 6-3 in both sets.
Other Top Performers
- Hugo Hidalgo Vega (North Carolina Central) defeated South Carolina State’s Novak Novakovic at No. 1 singles in a pair of 6-3 sets. This marks Hidalgo Vega’s 11th straight win at No. 1 singles.
- Megan Etienne (Coppin State) won in two sets at No. 1 singles against Howard’s Dana Hall (6-2, 6-4) to put up a point for the Eagles.
- Candice Bernier (North Carolina Central) tallied her seventh straight No. 3 singles win. She defeated South Carolina State’s Rachida Berjane 6-1, 6-4.
