VALDOSTA, Ga. - The season is upon us, and the members of the 2015 Blazers and Lady Blazers tennis teams are fired up for another exciting season of Valdosta State tennis under the leadership of veteran Head Coach John Hansen.

Hansen enters the 2015 season for his 42nd year at the helm of the Valdosta State tennis program and will aim for his third NCAA national Championship during the upcoming campaign. Under Hansen, the Blazers and Lady Blazers have combined for 20 South Atlantic and Gulf South Conference championships, including 10 men's championships and four women's championships in the GSC.

Twenty different times, Hansen has been named the conference Coach of the Year. His most recent honors came in both 2011 and 2012, when he was named the GSC Coach of the Year in two consecutive seasons.

This year, Hansen will bring guidance to a young men's team that consists of three juniors (Andrew Harvin, Niklas Herbring, Joachim Schemm), two sophomores (Francisco Yim Kim, Gereon Heitmann), and three freshmen (Ramon Weil, Edward Nguyen, Leo Blay). Despite the lack of seniors on the 2015 squad, Hansen is optimistic about the potential his team holds heading into the season.

"Everybody is a perfect fit this year, and they are all very good friends," said Hansen. "What we need to get off to a good start, is a good road trip against a good team, and we hope to get that next weekend when we travel to Lynn and then to Florida Tech."

The Blazers hold a preseason position at No. 10 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association national rankings, and will kick off their season on Sunday, February 8, with a neutral Gulf South Conference match in Carrollton, Ga. against the Lee Flames. The season continues with the aforementioned road trip to Lynn on February 14, followed by a match the following day in Melbourne, Fla. against the Panthers of Florida Tech. Both Lynn and Florida Tech rank among the top 50 teams in the nation, with Lynn standing at No. 7 and FIT holding a spot at No. 47.

While each member of the team is expected to make significant contributions this season, the Blazers will look to sophomore Yim Kim to provide a spark as the year gets underway. The Paraguay native spent the entire 2014 season at the No. 1 singles position, and his 8-7 finish as a freshman earned him a spot among the top 20 singles players in all of Division II at No. 19.

"With the addition of our three freshman, and having lost just a few players from last year, we're optimistic," said Hansen. "We feel like we've found strong replacements for the players we lost last year, and the great thing going forward is that we expect them all to be back again next year."

With a position among the nation's top 15 teams to begin the 2015 season, the women's team holds an equal amount of promise. The Lady Blazers stand at No. 15 overall in preseason ITA poll and will benefit from a bevy of returnees that include lone senior Michelle Fischer, who ranks No. 21 in the nation for women's singles after racking up a 9-5 record at No. 1 singles last year for Valdosta State. Along with Fischer, two juniors (Laura Ubeda, Jennifer Rink) and sophomore Joanna Lario return to the team in 2015, and the roster is rounded out by newcomers Bea Morales Hernandez, Anke Pancelet, and Taylor Vinge, a Valdosta, Ga. native out of Lowndes High School.

"One of the most exciting parts of this team are our new additions," said Hansen of his newest Lady Blazers. "They provide us with more depth than we had last year, and the addition of Bea, who had to sit out last year, will be a big plus for our team this season. She's a great player and a great person."

The competition will be stout for the Lady Blazers throughout the entirety of the upcoming season, but Hansen believes that the level of competition could bode well for the team once postseason play begins.

"West Florida won the conference last year, and as of right now, they're the team to beat," said Hansen when speaking of teams that Valdosta State will face throughout this year as members of the South Region. "By far, we play in the toughest region in the country, and we will face nine of the top ten teams in the nation during our regular season schedule. Lynn, Rollins, Saint Leo, Barry, and West Florida are all very good teams, and they are all in our region. In addition there's Nova Southeastern, who has come up with a very good team as well."

For assistance this season, Hansen will look to assistant coaches Brian Rasmussen, who rejoins the team after serving as an assistant coach in 2014, and Dominika Jasova, a new addition to the Lady Blazer coaching ranks.

"Those two are just outstanding," Hansen exclaimed as he spoke of his graduate assistant coaches. "I include them in every aspect of our program, including recruiting and leading practices, and they have done everything I have asked them to do and more. When they leave Valdosta State, they will be ready to step in as a head coach for any program, and I feel confident that they can do anything they want to do."

The wait is over for Valdosta State tennis fans, as The Lady Blazers open up their season against the visiting Sharks of Nova Southeastern tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. right here in Valdosta, Ga.. The opener will serve as a lead-in to a four-match stint on the road before VSU returns to the Tennis Complex to host Rollins on Saturday, February 21.

With a steady stream of matches between some of the best teams in the nation taking place throughout the season right here in TitleTown, there's never been a better time to follow Blazer and Lady Blazer Tennis. Keep an eye on www.vstateblazers.com all season long for all things Blazer tennis, and be sure to follow the VSU tennis program on Twitter (@VSUTennis).