Troy University Athletics
Men’s Tennis Beats South Carolina State in Close Matchup
2/19/2026 7:13:00 PM | Tennis (M)
TROY, Ala. - Troy men's tennis battles down to the wire against South Carolina State, claiming the 4-3 victory with freshman Stephan Tavares Noale clinching the final singles point.
It was a close match throughout the day, with Troy (8-4) taking the doubles point from South Carolina State (0-4) as senior Yeray Andres Pastor and sophomore Henrique de Brito won on Court 3, 6-2, and junior Luciano Alcocer and freshman Ryusei Miyazato won on Court 2, 6-3.
After earning the advantage point, the Trojans then saw a change in scenery as the Bulldogs came back stronger during the singles matches. Seniors Mikalai Bankou, Novak Novakovic and junior Iliyas Muratuly added 3 points to the scoreboard, winning each of their courts through straight sets.
This advantage didn't last long, however, with sophomores Hiiro Sakamoto and Thiago Drozdowski completing their courts with a win, creating a 3-3 tie. After a drawn-out battle between Noale and freshman Andrii Borodatiuk on Court 5, the Trojans celebrated Noale's winning point.
Troy will be back at the Lunsford Tennis Complex to take on Alabama A&M on Friday. The matchup will start at 2 p.m.
Troy 4, South Carolina State 3
1. Mikalai Bankou and Novak Novakovic (SCS) def. Thiago Drozdowski and Steph Tavares Noale (TROY) 6-1It was a close match throughout the day, with Troy (8-4) taking the doubles point from South Carolina State (0-4) as senior Yeray Andres Pastor and sophomore Henrique de Brito won on Court 3, 6-2, and junior Luciano Alcocer and freshman Ryusei Miyazato won on Court 2, 6-3.
After earning the advantage point, the Trojans then saw a change in scenery as the Bulldogs came back stronger during the singles matches. Seniors Mikalai Bankou, Novak Novakovic and junior Iliyas Muratuly added 3 points to the scoreboard, winning each of their courts through straight sets.
This advantage didn't last long, however, with sophomores Hiiro Sakamoto and Thiago Drozdowski completing their courts with a win, creating a 3-3 tie. After a drawn-out battle between Noale and freshman Andrii Borodatiuk on Court 5, the Trojans celebrated Noale's winning point.
Troy will be back at the Lunsford Tennis Complex to take on Alabama A&M on Friday. The matchup will start at 2 p.m.
Troy 4, South Carolina State 3
2. Luciano Alcocer and Ryusei Miyazato (TROY) def. Iliyas Muratuly and Andrii Borodatiuk (SCS) 6-3
3. Yeray Andres Pastor and Henrique de Brito (TROY) def. Julius Augunas and Hoang Anh Pham (SCS) 6-2
Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2
1. Mikalai Bankou (SCS) def. Ausias Martin Melo (TROY) 6-1 6-3
2. Novak Novakovic (SCS) def. Yeray Andres Pastor (TROY) 6-2 6-4
3. Iliyas Muratuly (SCS) def. Luciano Alcocer (TROY) 6-3 6-2
4. Hiiro Sakamoto (TROY) def. Bastian Zamora (SCS) 7-6 6-3
5. Steph Tavares Noale (TROY) def. Andrii Borodatiuk (SCS) 1-6 6-2 7-6
6. Thiago Drozdowski (TROY) def. Hoang Anh Pham (SCS) 7-5 6-2
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2, 6, 4, 5
Players Mentioned
/ Tennis (M)
/ Tennis (M)
/ Tennis (M)
/ Tennis (M)
/ Tennis (M)
/ Tennis (M)
/ Tennis (M)
/ Tennis (M)
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