Raleigh, N.C.  - The South Carolina State University Bulldogs won the 2011 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Men's Tennis Championship title on Sunday afternoon at the Millbrook Tennis Courts in Raleigh N.C.  The title was the fourth consecutive and ninth overall for the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs won two matches to secure the doubles point. 2011 MEAC Men's Tennis Player of the Year Dmytro Kovalevych and Aton Protsenko secured the victory against Florida A&M's Maurice Wamukowa and Temeure Asafu-Adjaye, 8-4 in the number two spot.

Aiding in the doubles win for SCSU, the duo of Artemiy Nikitin and David Grund topped Michael Moore and Levan Clark, 9-8, at the number three spot to take the lead 1-0.

The Bulldogs secured wins at the one and two singles positions for the 3-0 advantage. Florida A&M rallied back to make the score 3-1 with a win as Takura Happy topped Gabriel Meana in two sets 6-3, 6-1 at the number one singles position.

Temura Asafu-Adjaye would keep FAMU's rally going as he topped Grund in the number six position 6-3, 6-4.

With the score at 3-2, Kovalevych clinched the championship win for the Bulldogs at the number two position competing in two sets (6-4, 7-5) to defeat Clark. He earned Outstanding Performer honors after finishing 3-0 in singles play and 2-0 in doubles.

Head coach Hardeep Judge received the seventh Men's Tennis Outstanding Coach accolade of his career.

With the win, South Carolina State receives the conference's automatic qualification to the NCAA Division I Men's Championship. The Division I Men's Tennis Selection Show will air May 3, 2011 at 5:30 p.m. on NCAA.com

 

2011 Men's All-Tournament Team:

Number One Doubles: Gabriel Meana and Peteris Vinogradous, South Carolina State

Number Two Doubles: Anton Prtsenko and Dmytro Kovalevych, South Carolina State

Number Three Doubles: David Grund and Artemiy Nikitin, South Caroina State

Singles:

1. Tekura Happy, Florida A&M

2. Dmytro Kovalevych, South Carolina State

3. Anton Protsenko, South Carolina State

4. Peteris Vinogradous, South Carolina State

5. Artemit Nikitin, South Carolina State

6. Michael Moore, Florida A&M

Outstanding Performer: Dmytro Kovalevych, South Carolina State

Outstanding Coach: Hardeep Judge, South Carolina State

Runner-Up Team: Florida A&M University

2011 MEAC Men's Tennis Champion: South Carolina State University