VALDOSTA, Ga. - The No. 9 ranked Valdosta State men's tennis team outlasted the No. 12 ranked Georgia College Bobcats, 5-4, to open up the 2016 season on Friday afternoon at the VSU Tennis Courts in Valdosta, Ga.

Gereon Heitmann and Niklas Herbring picked up VSU's first point of the day at No. 1 doubles with an 8-4 victory over Vincent Castermans and Yannick Hass. At No. 2, Blazer newcomer Xavier Pineda teamed up with Leo Blay to defeat Chrisitan Graff and Jannik Kumbier, 8-6, and Joachim Schemm joined Fernando Rivas for the doubles sweep after an 8-2 win over Taylor Powell and Anton Waern at No. 3.

In singles action, Hass kept the Bobcats in the match with a win at No. 1 after Blay was forced to retire in the first set trailing 5-2. Heitmann helped the Blazers rebound, however, after dropping Kumbier 7-6, 6-3 at No. 2. Rivas cruised past Powell at No. 3 with a 6-4, 6-3 win, before Graff picked up a 6-4, 6-3 win over Pineda at No. 4.

In the final two singles matchups, Ecenarro defeated Herbring 2-6, 6-3, 7-5, and Castermans topped Schemm 6-3, 6-4 at No. 6.

The win started the Blazers at 1-0 on the year, while the Bobcats evened up their season record at 1-1.

Next up for Valdosta State, it's a Sunday matchup against No. 7 Saint Leo at the VSU Tennis Courts in Valdosta, Ga. The match is slated for a noon start.