DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University men's tennis team will begin the 2025 spring season against consecutive ranked opponents starting at No. 22 NC State on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 4 p.m., followed by a trip to No. 12 Duke on Sunday, Jan. 19 at 5 p.m.
The Eagles finished the 2024 season 9-15 with a 3-2 record against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference competition and runners-up in the MEAC Tennis Championships. Eleven of the 16 non-conference opponents played NC Central last spring.
In the fall, NCCU competed in several tournaments including the HBCU National Tennis Championships where the Eagles finished third out of 15 teams. At the first-ever MEAC Individual Championships, senior Hugo Hidalgo Vega and junior Rodrigo Alves won the doubles championship.
The Maroon & Gray return seven players. The 2024 MEAC Player of the Year, Hidalgo Vega and captain Oliver Saarinen represent the senior class.
Junior returners include 2024 All-MEAC Second Team performer Kareem Abdul Hakim, Naresh Bharathy and Neiman Sneed. The final junior is newcomer Alves, a transfer from Chicago State University. Alves debuted in the fall pairing with Hidalgo Vega to advance to the ITA Conference Masters.
Another fresh face on the team is sophomore Antoni Pankowski, formerly of MEAC foe Norfolk State University. Pankowski finished his only Spartan season as a Second Team All-MEAC honoree. Completing the sophomore class is Leo Fortier-Gariepy and redshirt Lucas Artigas.
Head coach D. Curtis Lawson is in his 25th season at NCCU. Lawson's coaching staff will remain the same as John McLean IV and Gabriel Cucalon return as assistants.
As voted by the MEAC's head coaches and sports information directors, NC Central was picked to finish second in the conference, 12 points shy of first-place South Carolina State University. The full preseason order of finish is below.
MEAC Men's Tennis – 2025 Preseason Predicted Order of Finish
School Points
SC State (8) 68
NC Central (2) 56
Norfolk State (2) 47
Howard 35
Morgan State (1) 31
Coppin State 15
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