NORFOLK, Va., Jan. 14, 2019—The Morgan State men and women were selected to win the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Northern Division tennis crown, while the South Carolina State men and Florida A&M 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 won the tournament crown in men’s tennis last season, fighting off a tough Morgan State squad to return to the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs have been picked to finish first in the Southern Division again this season, coming off a 2018 campaign that saw them go 4-0 in MEAC play and 10-5 overall.
South Carolina State totaled 78 points and 10 first-place votes.
Florida A&M, which went 3-1 in league play last year, was selected to finish second in the Southern Division, picking up four first-place votes. Bethune-Cookman (three first-place votes), North Carolina Central (one first-place vote) and North Carolina A&T State rounded 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 2019; the Bears racked 17 of a possible 18 first-place votes. Norfolk State was picked to finish second, followed by Howard (one first-place vote) and Coppin State.
Morgan State won the 2018 MEAC women’s tennis tournament title, the program’s first since 1994, defeating Hampton in the championship match. The Lady Bears notched 20 first-place votes and 139 points in being picked to win the division this season, with Howard (four first-place votes) tabbed to finish second.
Norfolk State, Delaware State, Coppin State and Maryland Eastern Shore rounded out the Northern Division poll.
Florida A&M, with 10 first-place votes and 122 points, edged out Bethune-Cookman (nine first-place votes, 121 points) as the preseason favorite in the Southern Division. Both teams were 4-1 in MEAC play last season, though the Lady Rattlers defeated B-CU in their head-to-head.
South Carolina State (five first-place votes), North Carolina A&T State, North Carolina Central and Savannah State rounded out the Southern Division poll.
The 2019 MEAC Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships will be held April 25-27 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.