Howard University’s men’s tennis team saw its postseason journey come to a close Thursday afternoon, falling 4-1 to rival Morgan State in the 2025 MEAC Championship Quarterfinals in Cary, N.C.
The Bison struck first in doubles action behind a standout performance from senior Marcel Dawson and All-MEAC selection Michael Major Jr., who claimed a 6-3 victory at the top spot over Makkijha Brown and MEAC Player of the Year Mikeal Carpenter. However, the Bears bounced back with wins at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles to secure the doubles point and take a 1-0 lead heading into singles.
In singles play, MEAC Rookie of the Year Kaosie Nwokedi delivered a strong performance for Howard, taking down Brown in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, to briefly tie the match at 1-1.
Despite competitive efforts from Dawson and Mitchell Yon, whose matches were left unfinished while both led in deciding sets, Morgan State claimed straight-set victories on the other three courts to clinch the match and advance to Friday’s semifinal against top-seeded South Carolina State.
The loss brings the collegiate careers of Dawson and fellow senior Daniel Dunac to a close, capping their contributions to Bison tennis.
Howard Director of Tennis Nicholas Askew and Associate Head Coach Zach Tobias now shift their focus to recruiting and development ahead of the 2026 season, with aspirations of reclaiming MEAC glory.
Match Summary:
Doubles:
- Dawson/Major (HOW) def. Brown/Carpenter (MSU) – 6-3
- MSU def. HOW – 6-4 (courts 2 & 3)
MSU wins doubles point
Singles:
- Nwokedi (HOW) def. Brown (MSU) – 6-3, 6-2
- MSU wins three singles matches in straight sets
- Dawson and Yon (HOW) matches unfinished with leads
Final Score: Morgan State 4, Howard 1
Up Next
Morgan State advances to face South Carolina State in the MEAC Semifinals on Friday, April 25.
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