NORFOLK, Va. – The Morgan State men’s and Howard women’s tennis teams were predicted to win the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) northern division crowns, while South Carolina State men’s and women’s tennis teams were chosen to win the southern division as announced by the conference office on Tuesday. All preseason honors were voted on by the conference’s head tennis coaches and sports information directors.
On the men’s side, South Carolina State defeated Norfolk State, 4-2, to win the 2014 MEAC Tennis Championship. The title was the seventh straight and 12th overall for the Bulldogs. They finished the 2014 regular season with a 4-0 conference mark and a 12-8 overall record.
The Norfolk State Spartans men’s team, who posted a 3-1 MEAC record, were picked to finish second. Bethune-Cookman was chosen to finish third, followed by Florida A&M at fourth, North Carolina Central at fifth and North Carolina A&T State at sixth.
Morgan State was selected to win the northern division after posting an undefeated conference record (4-0) and a 5-12 overall mark last year.
Howard was predicted to finish in second, followed by Hampton in third. Coppin State and Maryland Eastern Shore were selected to finish fourth and fifth, respectively.
The reigning MEAC Women’s Champion, the South Carolina State Lady Bulldogs, were selected to repeat as the 2015 southern division champions. The Lady Bulldogs were 5-1 in MEAC play and 13-7 overall a year ago.
Bethune-Cookman was chosen to finish second in the southern division. Last year, the Lady Wildcats recorded a 6-0 mark in MEAC play and finished 20-10 overall. Florida A&M, North Carolina Central, Norfolk State, North Carolina A&T and Savannah State rounded out the southern division preseason predictions.
The Howard Lady Bison, who were 2-16 overall and 1-3 in MEAC play last season, were selected to win the northern division.
Morgan State won the northern division title last season after recording a 4-0 MEAC mark and 4-12 overall record and was picked to finish second. Delaware State, Hampton, Coppin State and Maryland Eastern Shore rounded out the northern division.
The 2015 MEAC Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships begins April 16-18 at the Cayce Tennis and Fitness Center in Cayce, S.C.
For more information on MEAC Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championship and other sponsored sports, log on to www.MEACsports.com
2015 Men’s and Women’s Tennis Predicted Order of Finish
As voted on by the conference Head Tennis Coaches and Sports Information Directors
(First place votes in parenthesis)
Women’s Predicted Order
|
North Division
|
Points
|
- Howard (14)
|
143
|
- Morgan State (10)
|
130
|
- Delaware State (1)
|
105
|
- Hampton (1)
|
70
|
- Coppin State
|
65
|
- Maryland Eastern Shore
|
33
|
|
South Division
|
Points
|
- South Carolina State (22)
|
177
|
- Bethune-Cookman (4)
|
155
|
- Florida A&M
|
122
|
- North Carolina Central
|
95
|
- Norfolk State
|
94
|
- North Carolina A&T
|
50
|
- Savannah State
|
35
|
Men’s Predicted Order
|
North Division
|
Points
|
- Morgan State (12)
|
198
|
- Howard (7)
|
150
|
- Hampton (3)
|
148
|
- Coppin State
|
136
|
- Maryland Eastern Shore
|
108
|
|
South Division
|
Points
|
- South Carolina State (19)
|
129
|
- Norfolk State (3)
|
95
|
- Bethune-Cookman
|
90
|
- Florida A&M
|
69
|
- North Carolina Central
|
45
|
- North Carolina A&T
|
34
|