NORFOLK, Va. - The pairings for the 2011 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC ) Men's and Women's Tennis Championship is announced on Tuesday with Howard University and South Carolina State University's men's and women's teams earning top spots.
All four teams secured the top seeds with an unblemished regular season conference marks.
The 2011 Championship is slated for April 15-17 at the Millbrook Tennis Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Howard (5-10 MEAC, 10-8) will look to secure its seventh championship title after earning the number one seed in the north for the second consecutive season. The Lady Bison will meet the south's number four seed, Norfolk State, on Friday at 8:30 a.m.
Rounding out the north is Delaware State (N2), Hampton (N3), and Morgan State (N4) respectively.
The defending women's champion South Carolina State Lady Bulldogs swept divisional play (4-0) and earned a 15-2 overall mark. The Lady Bulldogs will face Morgan State on Friday morning beginning at 8:30 a.m.
Florida A&M earned the number two seed from the south followed by Bethune-Cookman (S3) and Norfolk State.
On the men's side, Howard picked up its first men's divisional title since 2008 with a 5-0 conference mark. The Bison finished regular season play with a 6-9 record.
Norfolk State, who earned the number four seed on the men's and women's side, will face the top seeded Bison beginning at Noon.
Morgan State (N2), Hampton (N3) and Maryland Eastern Shore (N4) wrap up the men's northern division.
The three-time defending champion South Carolina State Bulldogs will vie for its fourth straight and ninth overall championship title when they meet Maryland Eastern Shore also on Friday beginning at Noon.
Florida A&M secured the number two seed in the south followed by Bethune-Cookman and Norfolk State.
Only the top four teams in each division compete in the championship tournament. Maryland Eastern Shore and North Carolina A&T women's teams along with Coppin State's men's team were eliminated from tournament play as a result of their conference finish.
The 2011 MEAC Men's and Women's Tennis Championship begins with women's play on Friday, April 15 at 8:30 a.m. The women's semi-final rounds start on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. followed by the men at Noon. The Championship concludes on Sunday with the women's final beginning at 9 a.m. followed by the men's title match at Noon.
The Championship is free and open to the public.
MEAC Women's Tennis MEAC Men's Tennis
Northern Division MEAC Overall Northern Division MEAC Overall
#1 Howard* 5-0 10-8 #1 Howard* 4-0 6-9
#2 Delaware State 4-1 11-3 #2 Morgan State 3-1 4-7
#3 Hampton 3-2 4-9 #3 Hampton 2-2 3-9
#4 Morgan State 2-3 2-7 #4 Maryland Eastern Shore 1-3 2-10
Southern Division MEAC Overall Southern Division MEAC Overall
#1 South Carolina State* 4-0 15-2 #1 South Carolina State* 3-0 13-3
#2 Florida A&M 3-1 10-10 #2 Florida A&M 2-1 18-6
#3 Bethune-Cookman 2-2 5-14 #3 Bethune-Cookman 1-2 7-10
#4 Norfolk State 1-3 4-15 #4 Norfolk State 0-3 5-13
*Divisional Champion
