Women’s tennis ranked 2nd, men ranked 4th in USA South preseason polls
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Huntingdon women's tennis team in ranked second in the West Division and the men's tennis team is ranked fourth with the release of the USA South preseason polls on Wednesday.
The Lady Hawks totaled 56 points and one first-place vote in the women's West Division poll. Piedmont, the 2018 West Division champion, is the preseason favorite in the West with seven first-place votes and 61 points. Covenant is third with one first-place vote and 50 points.
Rounding out the West Division are No. 4 LaGrange (43 points), No. 5 Brevard (36 points), No. 6 Agnes Scott (31 points), No. 7 Maryville (24 points), No. 8 Berea (15 points) and No. 9 Wesleyan (8 points).
Defending USA South Tournament champion North Carolina Wesleyan is the preseason favorite in the East poll with seven first-place votes and 63 points. Methodist, the 2018 East Division champion, is second with two first-place votes and 55 points.
On the men's side, the fourth-place Hawks earned 20 points in the West Division poll. Covenant and Piedmont are tied for No. 1 in the West with 33 points apiece. Covenant, the defending West Division champion, received four first-place votes and Piedmont earned two first-place votes. LaGrange is third with 25 points.
Behind Huntingdon, Brevard is fifth with 18 points, Maryville is sixth with 12 points and Berea is seventh with six points.
Ten-time defending conference champion North Carolina Wesleyan leads the East Division poll with five first-place votes and 25 points. Methodist is second with one first-place vote and 21 points.
The Huntingdon women open the season on Feb. 15 in Jackson, Miss., against Belhaven. The men open the season on Feb. 16 in Jackson, Miss., against Louisiana College and Tougaloo.
The complete men's and women's East and West Division polls are listed below.
USA South Women's Tennis Preseason Poll
West Division
1. Piedmont (7 first-place votes), 61 points
2. Huntingdon (1), 56 points
3. Covenant (1), 50 points
4. LaGrange, 43 points
5. Brevard, 36 points
6. Agnes Scott, 31 points
7. Maryville, 24 points
8. Berea, 15 points
9. Wesleyan, 8 points
East Division
1. N.C. Wesleyan (7 first-place votes), 63 points
2. Methodist (2), 55 points
3. Averett, 47 points
4. Meredith, 44 points
5. Pfeiffer, 35 points
6. Salem, 31 points
7. Greensboro, 22 points
8. William Peace, 16 points
9. Mary Baldwin, 11 points
USA South Men's Tennis Preseason Poll
West Division
T1. Covenant (4 first-place votes), 33 points
T1. Piedmont (2), 33 points
3. LaGrange, 25 points
4. Huntingdon, 20 points
5. Brevard, 18 points
6. Maryville, 12 points
7. Berea, 6 points
East Division
1. N.C. Wesleyan (5 first-place votes), 25 points
2. Methodist (1), 21 points
3. Averett, 17 points
4. Pfeiffer, 12 points
5. William Peace, 10 points
6. Greensboro, 5 points