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 the South Carolina State men’s and Bethune-Cookman women’s tennis teams were chosen to win the southern division. 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 was the regular season southern divisional champion and received the MEAC’s automatic qualification to the NCAA Division I Men’s Championship. The Bulldogs finished the regular season with a 5-0 conference mark and a 15-5 overall record.
The Bethune-Cookman men’s team posted a 4-1 MEAC record last season and were picked to finish second. North Carolina Central was chosen to finish third, followed by Florida A&M at fourth and North Carolina A&T State at fifth.
Morgan State was selected to win the northern division after posting an undefeated conference record (4-0).
Hampton was predicted to finish in second, followed by Norfolk State in third. Howard was picked fourth, while Coppin State and Maryland Eastern Shore were selected to finish fifth and sixth, respectively.
The defending MEAC Women’s Champion, the Bethune-Cookman Lady Wildcats, were selected to repeat as the 2016 southern division champions. The Lady Wildcats finished 6-0 in MEAC play and 19-7 overall a year ago.
South Carolina State was chosen to finish second in the second division. Florida A&M was picked at third and North Carolina Central fourth. North Carolina A&T State and Savannah State rounds out the southern division preseason predictions.
The Howard Bison, who were 7-7 overall and 5-0 in MEAC play last season, and are slated to win the northern division.
Morgan State was chosen second in the northern division, while Norfolk State was selected third. Hampton, Delaware State, Coppin State and Maryland Eastern Shore rounds out the northern division.
The 2015 MEAC Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships begins April 21-23 at the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center on the campus of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va.
For more information on MEAC Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championship and other sponsored sports, log on to www.MEACsports.com
2016 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 (19)
|
164
|
- Morgan State (4)
|
146
|
- Norfolk State (3)
|
128
|
- Hampton
|
113
|
- Delaware State
|
87
|
- Coppin State
|
52
|
- Maryland Eastern Shore
|
38
|
|
South Division
|
Points
|
- Bethune-Cookman (18)
|
145
|
- South Carolina State (7)
|
134
|
- Florida A&M (1)
|
107
|
- North Carolina Central
|
76
|
- North Carolina A&T State
|
52
|
- Savannah State
|
32
|
Men’s Predicted Order
|
North Division
|
Points
|
- Morgan State (14)
|
120
|
- Hampton (2)
|
102
|
- Norfolk State (6)
|
97
|
- Howard
|
72
|
- Coppin State
|
40
|
- Maryland Eastern Shore
|
31
|
|
South Division
|
Points
|
- South Carolina State (21)
|
109
|
- Bethune-Cookman (1)
|
79
|
- North Carolina Central
|
62
|
- Florida A&M
|
56
|
- North Carolina A&T State
|
24
|