ORANGEBURG, SC— The defending men's and women's Mid-Eastern Athletic Champion South Carolina State University will take on the University of Florida in the first round of the NCAA Tennis Championship Friday May 14, the NCAA Committee announced on Tuesday afternoon from Indianapolis.
The University of Florida men's and women's tennis teams both were chosen as one of 16 hosts of their respective NCAA First and Second Round Championship matches, with the running from May 14 to 16 at UF's Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex.
The six-time defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Champion(MEAC) South Carolina State Lady Bulldogs(16-5) will face No.3 ranked Lady Gators of Florida (24-2), who received the No.3 seed in the 64-team draw, Friday May 14 in the First Round contest beginning at 2 p.m. The winning team from the first-round match will meet in the second-round on Saturday, May 15 at 3 p.m.
It will be the second-ever meeting between Florida Lady Gators and the South Carolina State Lady Bulldogs, which met in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament, with the Gators taking the 4-0 victory in Gainesville.
South Carolina State women's team is making its sixth straight appearance of the NCAA Championships, while The Florida women's team is making its 27th appearance, of the 28-year history, missing only the 1986 event. The Lady Gators won NCAA team titles in 1992, 1996, 1998 and 2003 and have advanced to at least the NCAA Semifinals 18 times in the last 22 years.
On the men's side, Florida SEC Champion has never faced South Carolina State, the 2010 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).
The Bulldogs (14-10) winners of the last six-of-seven Mid-Eastern Athletic Championships will take on the No.6 ranked Gators of Florida (19-4) who received the sixth seed overall in the NCAA draw and the top seed in the Gainesville regional. South Carolina State will play Florida Saturday May 15 at 12 p.m.in the opening round with the winner advancing to the second round.
South Carolina State University will honor and salute the 2010 Mid-Eastern Athletic Tennis Champions with a send-off scheduled for Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 11:30 a.m. in the STATE Room (Hugine Suites).
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