VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The Hampton University men’s and women’s tennis teams were chosen to win the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Northern Division, as announced on Wednesday by the conference office and voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.
The Pirates were chosen to win the MEAC North for the second straight year, earning 19 out of 20 first-place votes. Hampton’s men went 8-7 last season, going a perfect 5-0 in conference play as
Nelio Mattos (Ribeirao Preto, Brazil) earned First Team All-MEAC honors, on top of being named MEAC Rookie of the Year.
Howard received the other first-place vote en route to being picked to finish second in the MEAC North.
The Lady Pirates picked up 20 out of 21 first-place votes on being chosen to win the MEAC North, after going 7-6 and 5-0 in MEAC play last season.
Na-Hyun Baek (Seoul, Korea), the defending two-time MEAC Player of the Year, highlights the 2010 Lady Pirates squad.
Howard was also chosen to finish second in the MEAC North on the women’s side, picking up the remaining first-place vote.
Defending MEAC champion South Carolina State was picked to win the MEAC Southern Division in both men’s and women’s tennis. The men have won five of the last six MEAC tennis titles, while the Lady Bulldogs have won five straight conference crowns.
The Pirates and Lady Pirates will kick off the 2010 season on Feb. 21, when they travel to Statesboro, Ga. to take on Georgia Southern. For more information on Hampton University tennis, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at
www.hamptonpirates.com.