NORFOLK, Va., Jan. 15, 2018—The Morgan State men and Hampton women were selected to win the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Northern Division tennis crown, while the South Carolina State men and Bethune-Cookman women were tabbed to take the Southern Division, the conference office announced today.
The polls were voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.
South Carolina State nearly won the tournament crown in men’s tennis last season, falling in a hard-fought final to Florida A&M. But the Bulldogs have been picked to finish first in the Southern Division again this season, coming off a 2017 campaign that saw them go 4-0 in MEAC play and 9-8 overall.
FAMU, which went 11-10 overall and 3-1 in league play last year, was picked to finish second in the Southern Division. Bethune-Cookman, North Carolina Central and North Carolina A&T State round out the division’s preseason rankings.
Morgan State won the Northern Division on the men’s side last season after going 4-0 in conference play and has been picked to win the division again in 2018. Norfolk State was picked to finish second, followed by Hampton, Howard, and Coppin State.
South Carolina State won the 2017 MEAC women’s tennis tournament title, defeating Hampton in a match-up of top seeds. Despite the Lady Bulldogs going 5-0 in league play last year, Bethune-Cookman is the Southern Division preseason favorite; the Wildcats went 4-1 in MEAC play last year.
Rounding out the Southern Division are Florida A&M, South Carolina State, North Carolina A&T State, North Carolina Central and Savannah State.
Hampton was picked to repeat in the Northern Division, coming off a 2017 season that saw the Lady Pirates go 6-0 in MEAC play and sweep the Player, Rookie and Coach of the Year honors. Morgan State was picked to finish second, with Norfolk State – the 2017 Northern Division runner-up – picked to come in third.
Howard, Delaware State, Coppin State and Maryland Eastern Shore rounded out the Northern Division poll.
The 2018 MEAC Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships will be held April 26-28 at the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center on the campus of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va.
For more information on tennis and other MEAC-sponsored sports, please visit
www.MEACsports.com.