Eastern Kentucky's men and women are predicted to win their respective 2010 OVC Tennis titles in a poll of the league's head coaches. The Colonel men earned 47 points while the Lady Colonels took 74 points. The Jacksonville State men received 44 points for a predicted second place finish while Tennessee Tech followed in third with 36 points. Murray State and Morehead State completed the top five with 27 and 24 points, respectively. Rounding out the men's poll are Austin Peay (20), Eastern Illinois (19) and Tennessee State (7). On the women's side, Jacksonville State grabbed second place with 69 points followed by Murray State with 63 points. UT Martin earned 62 points for a fourth-place predicted finish while Tennessee Tech received 49 points to place fifth. Rounding out the women's poll are Eastern Illinois (36), Austin Peay (34), Morehead State (33), Southeast Missouri (21) and Tennessee State (9).
The Eastern Kentucky men captured its first OVC regular-season title last year while finishing second at the league tournament. Their second place finish at the tourney marks its highest finish since accomplishing the same feat in 1983. EKU had four players ranked in the preseason's top 10 including the top player in Alex Das Izquierdo. The junior from Valencia, Spain was named to the All-OVC First team last year after compiling a 22-14 overall mark and going 6-1 in the OVC. The Colonels, who have already opened their non-conference portion of their schedule, begin league play on March 19 when they welcome Murray State.
The Eastern Kentucky women earned its first OVC regular-season title en route to its first tournament crown last season. The Lady Colonels have finished in the top two at the tourney the last two years. Eastern Kentucky had two players rank in the preseason top 10, including Myriem Mhirit at the top spot and Anouk Faure at No. 3. Mhirit, a junior from Rabat, Morocco, went 31-6 overall while going 8-1 in the OVC last season. A junior from Versoix, Switzerland, Faure went undefeated in OVC play with a 9-0 record while compiling a 25-9 overall mark. The Lady Colonels have already started non-conference play and will begin league action on March 20 with Murray State.
2010 OVC Men's Tennis Predicted Order of Finish
(as voted on by the league's head coaches)
1. Eastern Kentucky (5 first-place votes) - 47
2. Jacksonville State (2 first-place votes) - 44
3. Tennessee Tech (1 first-place votes) - 36
4. Murray State - 27
5. Morehead State - 24
6. Austin Peay - 20
7. Eastern Illinois - 19
8. Tennessee State - 7
2010 OVC Women's Tennis Predicted Order of Finish
(as voted on by the league's head coaches)
1. Eastern Kentucky (4 first-place votes) - 74
2. Jacksonville State (2 first-place votes) - 69
3. Murray State (1 first-place vote) - 63
4. UT Martin (2 first-place votes) - 62
5. Tennessee Tech (1 first-place vote) - 49
6. Eastern Illinois - 36
7. Austin Peay - 34
8. Morehead State - 33
9. Southeast Missouri - 21
10. Tennessee State - 9