RALEIGH, N.C. – The Norfolk State men's tennis team dropped both its matches on Saturday at the 2007 MEAC Tennis Championship at the Millbrook Tennis Center, ending the tournament in fourth place.

The third-seeded Spartans lost a 5-1 decision to second-seeded and eventual champion Hampton in the semifinals, then lost 4-3 to No. 1 South Carolina State in the third-place match. NSU ends it season at 14-6.

Against Hampton, the Pirates won at Nos. 1 and 3 doubles to claim the doubles point. NSU's lone point came from No. 1 singles player Miroslav Vlcek (Vyskov, Czech Republic). The Spartans' second-team All-MEAC player topped first-teamer Seo-Jae Chang of Hampton, 6-3, 6-3.

But Hampton clinched the match with singles wins at Nos. 2, 4, 5 and 6 to advance to the championship round.

Against SCSU, the Spartans dropped the doubles points after losing at Nos. 2 and 3. The teams split the six singles matches. Vlcek picked up another impressive win, defeating MEAC Player of the Year Ionut Hurduc at No. 1. Vassil Zahariev and Bogdan Yordanov (both of Sofia, Bulgaria) earned the Spartans' other wins, at Nos. 3 and 6.

The Spartan women (8-12) split their two consolation matches on Saturday, defeating Morgan State 4-3 before losing 4-0 to Howard in the fifth-place match. Against Morgan State, Fiorella Valdivia (Lima, Peru), Lerissa Morris (Kingstown, SVG) and Brittany Foster (Norfolk, Va.) swept 1-3 singles, and the Spartans also won first and second doubles.

Valdivia ended her junior season with a 14-3 singles mark.