NORFOLK, Va. - Norfolk State’s Dzmitry Zyhmantovich and Bethune-Cookman’s Mina Matsuba were named the 2014 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Men’s and Women's Tennis Players of the Year, as voted by the conference's head tennis coaches and sports information directors.

Matsuba was named Rookie of the Year for the women, while Bethune-Cookman head coach Tim Pleasant was selected as the Women's Tennis Coach of the Year.

Howard’s Ismael Kaouache earned the men's Rookie of the Year honor and Coppin State head coach Diwani Lewis was selected as the Men's Tennis Coach of the Year.

Matsuba, posted a 20-4 singles record at the number one position, with an undefeated 6-0 mark in southern divisional play. She teamed up with Maria Sablina to tally a 17-5 doubles record, including an undefeated 4-0 mark in MEAC play at number one doubles. The freshman was the MEAC Player of the Week on February 19, the MEAC Rookie of the Week on March 9, and an HBCU National Flight Winner.

Pleasant earns his first Coach of the Year award for the women's tennis program. In his second year at the helm, the Lady Wildcats recorded an 18-9 overall record and posted an unblemished 6-0 mark in conference play to earn the top seed in the south.

Joining Matsuba on the women's First-Team are teammates Chinatsu Kajiwara and Elizabeth Nyenwe, South Carolina State’s Intissar Rassif, Howard’s Katelyn Stokes and Delaware State’s Ksenia Kozlova.

Zyhmantovich, who earned the 2013 MEAC Rookie of the Year honor, posted an unblemished 4-0 mark in conference play and a 24-9 overall record at the number one singles position. He was the MEAC Player of the Week three times (March 27, April 2, and April 9). The sophomore finished with a 6-4 mark in doubles play to help the Spartans clinch the number two seed in the south.

Kaouache posted a 5-9 singles record at the number two position for the Bisons. The freshman also registered a 2-11 doubles record at the number two doubles position. Kaouache was the MEAC Rookie of the Week on March 21.   

The 2014 Men's Coach of the Year honor is the first for the Eagles head coach. Lewis guided Coppin State to a third seed in the north after posting a 4-9 overall record and 2-2 in MEAC play.

Along with Zyhmantovich on the First-Team is teammate Peter Pello, Florida A&M’s Admire Mushonga and Carlos Waitman, Martin Figura and Martin Kobza of South Carolina State.

The 2014 MEAC Men's and Women's Tennis Championships begins with women's play on Thursday, April 17 at 10 a.m., with the men starting at 1:30 p.m. The women's semi-final rounds start on Friday at 8:30 a.m. followed by the men at Noon. The Championship concludes on Saturday with the women's final beginning at 9 a.m. followed by the men's title match at Noon.