VALDOSTA, Ga. – The No. 19 Valdosta State men's tennis team got back on the winning track as it downed Auburn Montgomery, 5-2, in Gulf South Conference play Tuesday afternoon at the VSU Tennis Complex.
 
The Blazers improved to 5-3 on the year and 2-0 in Gulf South Conference play, while AUM fell to 3-3 and 1-1 in league play.  VSU got the match off on the right foot winning the doubles point for a 1-0 lead.  Freshmen duo of Luca Mack and Edward Etty won at No. 2, 6-2 over Francisco Jimenez and Joao Guariente, while the Warhawks upset No. 8-ranked duo of senior Yohan Nguyen and sophomore Florian Simbozel.  Muhamad Bedwan and Nino Portugal won 6-3 over the Blazers' top duo, handing Nguyen/Simbozel their second-straight loss in doubles. 
 
At No. 3, VSU sophomore Robert Cizek and junior Adam Kalivoda clinched the point with a 6-4 win over Jonathan Judy-Hansen and Jose Garcia.
 
Etty won at No. 4 to begin the singles, giving VSU a 2-0 lead as he downed Portugal, 6-1, 6-2 in convincing fashion.  Simbozel also posted a straight-set win at No. 2 over Guariente, 6-4, 6-2 for a 3-0 lead, but the Warhawks wouldn't go away quietly.  
 
AUM got on the board with a win at No. 5 as Garcia downed Cizek, 6-3, 6-2, but VSU clinched the match with Nguyen, who is No. 7 in singles nationally, and his win at the top spot over Bedwan, 7-6, 6-2.  AUM's Giovanni Bellio won at No. 6 over Kalivoda in three sets, 2-6, 6-2, 1-6 and Mack needed to go the distance with Jimenez, pulling out a 6-4, 1-6, 6-1 win for the 5-2 ledger.  
 
The Blazers continue in GSC play this weekend as they will wrap up the nine-match home stand to begin the season with Lee on Saturday at 10 a.m.  Following Saturday's match, VSU won't be back at the friendly confines of the VSU Tennis Complex until Apr. 1, versus Alabama Huntsville for the final home match of the regular season.