RALEIGH, N.C. ––The South Carolina State University men's and women's tennis teams captured the 2011 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tennis Championship title on Sunday afternoon at the Millbrook Tennis Courts in Raleigh N.C. The Lady Bulldogs won their seventh consecutive league title, while the Bulldogs won its fourth consecutive and ninth overall.

       “ I am so proud of our players and how well they played against two outstanding teams in Howard and FAMU, said SC State head coach Hardeep Judge. Our kids worked hard to get to this point and to play for another conference championship.”

       The Lady Bulldogs won the doubles point when , 2011 MEAC Women's Player of the Year Daria Sekerina and Maria Cracuin topped Howard's Katelyn Stokes/Michelle Brown, 8-4, while junior Suhaila Jad/Sabrina Mendez defeated Brittney Morgan/Brooke Hawthorne in a tiebreaker to clinch the finals double points at the two spot.

       In singles play, SC State tallied wins at the number two and five singles positions to gain a 3-0 advantage over the Lady Bison. At the number two singles spot, SC State  Jads defeated Howard's Morgan in two sets 6-1, 6-3. Mendez aided the Lady Bulldogs' with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Works at the number five singles position. The Lady Bulldogs' captured the 2011 women's tournament title at the number three singles position with 2011 MEAC Rookie of the Year Akilah James defeating Michelle Brown of Howard 7-5, 6-1.

       On the men's side, The Bulldogs won two matches to secure the doubles point. 2011 MEAC Men's Tennis Player of the Year Dmytro Kovalevych and Aton Protsenko secured the victory against Florida A&M's Maurice Wamukowa and Temeure Asafu-Adjaye, 8-4 in the number two spot.

       The Bulldogs secured wins at the one and two singles positions for the 3-0 advantage. Florida A&M rallied back to make the score 3-1 with a win as Takura Happy topped Gabriel Meana in two sets 6-3, 6-1 at the number one singles position.  

       Temura Asafu-Adjaye would keep FAMU's rally going as he topped Grund in the number six position 6-3, 6-4.  With the score at 3-2, Kovalevych clinched the championship win for the Bulldogs defeating Clark 6-4 and 7-5.

      Junior's Dmytro Kovalevych earned Outstanding Performer honors on the men's side after finishing 3-0 in singles play and 2-0 in doubles. Meanwhile, Suhaila Jad was named Outstanding Performer on for the women. Jad recorded a 2-0 record at the number two singles position and a 3-0 mark in doubles play

        Head coach Hardeep Judge received his seventh overall each for being named Men's and Women's Tennis Outstanding Tournament Coach award of his career.

       With the win, South Carolina State men's and women's tennis teams receive the conference's automatic qualification to the NCAA Division I Tennis Championship. The Division I Women's Tennis Selection Show will air May 3, 2011 at 5 p.m., followed by the Men's Tennis Selection Show beginning at 5:30  on NCAA.com

 

 

 

Number One Doubles: Daria Sekerina and Maria Craicun, South Carolina State

Number Two Doubles: Suhaila Jad and Sabrina Mendez, South Carolina State

Number Three Doubles: Alyssa Works and Anne Akhimien, Howard

 

T4. Brooke Hawthorne, Howard

Outstanding Coach: Hardeep Judge, South Carolina State

 Runner-Up Team:   Howard University

2011 MEAC Women's Tennis Champion: South Carolina State University

 

 

Number One Doubles: Gabriel Meana and Peteris Vinogradous, South Carolina State

Number Two Doubles: Anton Protsenko and Dmytro Kovalevych, South Carolina State

Number Three Doubles: David Grund and Artemiy Nikitin, South Caroina State

 

1. Tekura Happy, Florida A&M

6. Michael Moore, Florida A&M

 

Outstanding Performer: Dmytro Kovalevych, South Carolina State

Outstanding Coach: Hardeep Judge, South Carolina State

Runner-Up Team: Florida A&M University

2011 MEAC Men's Tennis Champion: South Carolina State University

 

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