CARY, N.C. – The Norfolk State men's tennis team could not overcome a one-point deficit heading into singles play, falling 4-2 against North Carolina Central in the MEAC Tennis Championships on Friday afternoon.
 
The No. 3 seed Spartans (11-11, 4-1 MEAC) season came to a close with the loss, while No. 3 seed NCCU (9-14, 3-2) advanced to the championship match to face No. 1 seed South Carolina State (13-7, 5-0).
 
Both teams brought immense intensity from the opening serve, with momentum swinging back and forth throughout doubles play. The Spartans nabbed the first match of the day, as Vladisav Gorbatenko and Frederick McRae took down Lucas Artigas and Shaka Cristellotti 6-2 on Court 3.
 
North Carolina Central rallied on Court 1, as Kareem Hakim and Oliver Saarinen bested Antoni Pankowski and Jakub Solarski 7-5. Norfolk State fought back from a break down to stay alive on Court 2, but Hugo Hidalgo Vega and Leo Fortier-Gariepy emerged victorious in the tiebreak to defeat Boris Lunin and Deniz Okyay 7-6 (6), earning the doubles point for the Eagles.
 
North Carolina Central went ahead 2-0 quickly in singles, as Hakim took down Okyay 6-2, 6-2 at the No. 2 slot.
 
The Spartans regrouped valiantly from there, though. After dominating the first set, Solarski won five consecutive games to close out a 6-1, 7-5 victory at the No. 2 slot, putting Norfolk State on the board.
 
Lunin ended his senior season on a high note, beating Cristelotti 6-2, 6-3 on Position 6. The victory tied the match, 2-2.
 
The Spartans continued to fight. After losing the first set of their respective matches, Gorbatenko, Pankowski, and McRae all rallied to send things to a third set. Gorbatenko dominated his crucial tiebreaker, winning all seven points.
 
After hours of the back-and-forth battle, NCCU clinched the match by winning on Courts 4 and 1 in quick succession. Naresh Mithran defeated Pankowski 6-3, 2-6, 5-7 at the No. 4 position, before Hidalgo Vega beat Gorbatenko 6-4, 6-7 (0), 6-0 at the No. 1 slot to send the Eagles to the MEAC Tournament Championship.

McRae led Saarinen 3-6, 7-6 (2), 2-1 on Court 5 when play came to a halt.
 
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