The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced today the eight team fields that will compete in the 2012 Men's and Women's Tennis Championships. The Delaware State Lady Hornets and Morgan State Bears earned the top seeds in the northern divisions, while the South Carolina State men's and women's teams finished atop of the southern divisions. The championships are scheduled for April 13-15 at the Millbrook Tennis Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The Delaware State Lady Hornets (15-2) tallied a 5-0 unblemished mark in MEAC northern divisional play. DSU set a program high for wins and concluded the season with a school-record 15 match win streak. The Lady Hornets will vie for their first-ever MEAC championship title and will meet the southern division's number four seed, Florida A&M, on Friday at 8:30 a.m.
Rounding out the north is Hampton (N2), Howard (N3), and Morgan State (N4) respectively.
The seven time defending women's champion South Carolina State Lady Bulldogs swept divisional play (4-0) and ended their regular season with a perfect 16-0 record. SCSU dominated their opponents posting 112 wins and six losses this season. The Lady Bulldogs will face Morgan State, the number four seed in the north, on Friday morning also at 8:30 a.m. Bethune-Cookman earned the second seed in the south followed by North Carolina Central (S3) and Florida A&M (S4).
On the men's side, Morgan State (6-9) picked up its first men's divisional title with a 4-0 conference mark. Norfolk State, who earned the number four seed in the southern division, will face the Bears on Friday beginning at Noon.
Hampton (N2), Coppin State (N3) and Maryland Eastern Shore (N4) wrap up the men's northern division.
The four-time defending MEAC champion South Carolina State Bulldogs will vie for their fifth straight and 10th overall championship title when they meet Maryland Eastern Shore also on Friday beginning at Noon. The Bulldogs have won 14-straight matches and ended the regular season with a 16-2 mark, including a 4-0 MEAC record.
Florida A&M secured the number two seed in the south followed by Bethune-Cookman (S3) and Norfolk State (S4).
Only the top four teams in each division compete in the championship tournament. Coppin State, Maryland Eastern Shore, Norfolk State, North Carolina A&T and Savannah State's women's teams were eliminated from tournament play as a result of their conference finish. Howard and North Carolina Central's men's teams will not compete in the post season tournament.
The 2012 MEAC Men's and Women's Tennis Championship begins with women's play on Friday, April 13 at 8:30 a.m. The women's semi-final rounds start on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. followed by the men at Noon. The Championship concludes on Sunday with the women's final beginning at 9 a.m. followed by the men's title match at Noon.
The championships are free and open to the public.