ATLANTA, Ga. – Alcorn State University men’s and women’s tennis competed at the HBCU National Championship this past weekend in Atlanta, Georgia, with the Braves men’s team capturing the HBCU National Championship and both squads recording multiple victories in singles and doubles competition.
The Alcorn State men’s team highlighted the weekend by being crowned national champions after a strong showing against several HBCU programs.
Vicent Llobell led the Braves with multiple singles victories, defeating NC Central’s Lucas Hartley, 6-0, 1-6, 10-5, and Alabama State’s Luka Videnovic, 6-4, 7-5. Llobell also defeated teammate Jose Luis Zenteno, 6-1, 6-0.
Ronaldo Vera added two singles victories, defeating Tuskegee’s Gabriel Guillot, 6-3, 6-2, and NC Central’s Angel Maffezzoli, 6-3, 6-2. Kahari McNeal earned a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Hampton’s Jude Killkely, while Joseph Puig defeated Norfolk State’s Luka Cvjetkovic, 8-1.
The Braves also found success in doubles competition. Hilb Kovalenko and Emre Atlamis defeated Norfolk State’s Patryk Kowal and Szymon Janzen, 6-1. Llobell and Puig picked up two doubles victories, defeating Norfolk State’s Marcin Andrzejczak and Szymon Malecki, 6-1, before earning a 6-3 victory over Xavier’s Edilson Rosa and Fatih Sisic.
On the women’s side, the Lady Braves produced several strong individual performances throughout the championship.
Ivanna De Gregorio recorded two singles victories, defeating Norfolk State’s Yuliya Yurkova, 6-3, 6-4, and Florida A&M’s Sydney Brantley, 6-3, 6-1.
Oilhane Villanueva also earned two singles victories, defeating Bethune-Cookman’s Marissa Alexander, 6-4, 6-3, while Hana Bajramovic defeated Hampton’s Samira Khazieva, 6-4, 6-2.
Additional singles victories came from Jennyar Hussein Elba, who defeated Xavier’s Laura Lopez, 8-4; Gloria Jovic, who defeated Florida A&M’s Gabrielle Pierce, 8-1; and Natalija Nikolic, who defeated Grambling State’s Trinity Hope, 8-0.
In doubles, Elba and Villanueva defeated Bethune-Cookman’s Roselida Asumwa and Maria Romero Vargas, 6-2. Jovic and Bajramovic also earned a 6-2 victory over Norfolk State’s Sabina Iurea and Elena Prado, while Nikolic and De Gregorio defeated Florida A&M’s Amber Beautelus and Brantley, 6-4.
