Men's Tennis All-Conference Teams

Women's Tennis All-Conference Teams

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Valdosta State men's and women's tennis teams were represented well on the All-Gulf South Conference Teams, announced Wednesday evening.  The No. 18-ranked men's team had three selections, including two first team honorees, while the women's team had one first team selection.
 
For the Gulf South Conference regular season champion Blazer men's team, senior Jordi Mas earned his third all-conference honor as he was a first team selection for the second-straight year, while junior Yohan Nguyen also earned first team honors, marking his first time on the all-conference squad.  Senior Xavi Pineda earned second team honors for his second all-league selection as did sophomore Florian Simbozel. 
 
West Florida's Senda Bojadjiev was named GSC Player of the Year, while Ilari Vesanen of West Alabama was named Freshman of the Year and Jeff Beaman of West Alabama took home Coach of the Year honors for both the men's and women's teams.
 
On the women's side, senior Estee Widdershoven earned first team accolades as she earned first team honors for the second-straight year.  Berta Bonardi of West Florida was tabbed GSC Player of the Year, while Haina Franco of West Alabama was named GSC Freshman of the Year.
 
The No. 16-ranked Blazers open the 2019 Gulf South Conference Championship as the top-seed in the championship Thursday at 2:30 p.m., at Lagoon Park in Montgomery, Ala., versus No. 8-seed Alabama Huntsville.  Fans can access links to the GSC's live twitter feed of the championship on vstateblazers.com on the men's tennis schedule page, or by clicking on the GSC Championship Central link at the top of this page.
 
VSU (12-3, 10-0 GSC) downed UAH 6-1 in Huntsville, Ala., on Mar. 16.  In the match, VSU won the doubles point with wins at Nos. 2 and 3 for the early lead.  Three of the six singles matches went the distance as Mas won at the top spot over Timo Christen, Nguyen won at No. 3 over Dylan Hall each in the third set and Pineda won at No. 4 over Tim Nutz.  Alabama Huntsville enters the championship with an 8-10 record overall and went 2-8 in GSC Play.
 
Mas ranks 14^th nationally in the latest ITA rankings, released on May 1.  He is 8-6 overall in dual matches and went 7-2 in Gulf South Conference play this season at the top spot.  Pineda is 30^th nationally and leads the team with an 11-3 record overall, while going 9-1 in GSC play at the No. 4 position.  
 
VSU currently is No. 2 in the final NCAA South Region rankings, which were released earlier on Wednesday.  Check back with NCAA.com on Tues., May 7 at 8 p.m. ET for the NCAA Division II Men's Tennis Selection Show. 
 
The Blazer women's team also will compete in the GSC Championship on Thursday as the No. 5 seed as the Blazers finished 6-13 overall and 6-5 in GSC play.  The Blazers will play No. 4-seed Lee at 10 a.m. ET, as Lee went 16-5 overall and 7-4 in conference play.  Lee's doubles duo of Grzegrzolka and Micaela Maiz is ranked 26^th in the latest ITA rankings.
 
VSU defeated Lee on the road on Mar. 17, 4-3 as the Blazers trailed 1-0 after doubles and then clinched the match with a win by sophomore Hera Bork Brynjarsdottir at No. 5 in three sets, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.  Widdershoven tied the match at No. 1 with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Asia Grzegrzolka and the Blazers took a 2-1 lead and then a 3-2 lead, but Sierra Donaldson tied the match with a win at No. 6 over freshman Rachel Chan-Yaneff, 6-4, 6-1, prior to Bork Brynjarsdottir's heroics. 
 
For the season, Widdershoven went 8-8 in singles at the top spot and was 8-2 in league play to lead the team.  Freshman Birte Langestein went 6-4 in league play and 7-7 overall at No. 3 singles, while senior Daniella Barta was 5-4 in GSC play.