VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State men's and women's tennis teams return to the road on Friday for 2 p.m. matches at Embry-Riddle in Daytona Beach, Fla.  
 
The Blazer men's team moved up to second nationally on Thursday in the latest ITA Top 25 and is 2-0 on the year with 6-1 victories at Georgia College and last Friday at home against then-No. 10 North Georgia. Last week, the Blazers won the doubles point with two victories – both in tiebreakers.  In singles, No. 12 sophomore Luca Mack upset No. 2-ranked Joaquin Benoit at the top spot 6-4, 6-4, while Blazer sophomore and No. 29-ranked Rodrigo Carvalho won at No. 3 singles, 6-3, 6-7, 1-0 (10-7) after the match already had been decided.  The Blazers began the season No. 5 in the preseason ITA Top 25.
 
ERAU enters with a 3-1 record on the men's side and moved to seventh nationally this week after it was 15^th to begin the season.  The Eagles opened Sunshine State Conference play with a 4-3 win over then-No. 3-ranked Saint Leo on Feb. 10.  The Eagles won the doubles point and No. 38 Juan Ortiz Couder won over No. 27 Bruno Faletto 6-7, 6-2, 7-5 to clinch the match at the top spot in the lineup in singles.  ERAU dropped a 5-2 decision earlier this season to No. 2-ranked Keiser of NAIA, who the Blazers host on Feb. 24 at the VSU Tennis Courts.  For ERAU Alexis Guedy also is ranked in singles at No. 21 nationally.
 
The Eagles defeated Ave Maria, also NAIA, on Wednesday 7-0 and will welcome the Blazers on Friday.  On the men's side, VSU leads the series with ERAU 4-3 and has won the last two meetings and four of six. VSU won 6-1 in Valdosta on Feb. 28, 2020, and in Daytona Beach on Feb. 21, 2019, with a 4-1 decision.  VSU is 2-1 all-time in Daytona Beach against the Eagles.
 
Mack is 2-0 in singles at the top spot in the lineup, while Carvalho is 2-0 this spring at No. 3 and sophomore Cameron Henricy Trigolos is 2-0 at No. 6.  In doubles, sophomore Edward Etty and graduate student Swann Flohr are 2-0 at No. 3 and junior Christian Felline and freshman Lamar Bartley are 2-0 at No. 2.  No. 2 ranked tandem of Mack/Carvalho are 1-1 at No. 1 doubles.  
 
Mack was named Gulf South Conference Player of the Week for the second-straight week, while freshman Lamar Bartley was named GSC Freshman of the Week.  Etty earned GSC Freshman of the Week honors last week.
 
On the women's side, ERAU enters with a 2-3 record with losses to No. 2 (NAIA) Keiser (6-1), Nova Southeastern (5-0) and No. 9 Saint Leo 5-2, but defeated Florida National 7-0.  The women also defeated Ave Maria, 6-1, on Wednesday.  Entering the week, Jessica Wira Hadipoernomo is 4-4 overall and 2-1 in duals this season in singles, while she and Itxaso Blanco are 5-1 overall in doubles.  In duals, Blanco and Carla Cabrero del Hierro are 2-2 in duals at the top spot. 
 
VSU leads the all-time series 4-3, but ERAU has won the last two matches and VSU winning four of five prior to that.  ERAU won in Valdosta, 5-2 on Feb. 28, 2020, in the last meeting and 4-0 in Daytona Beach on Feb. 21, 2019.  VSU has won two of three matches in Daytona Beach in program history. 
 
For the VSU women, freshman Natalie Kohoutkova is 2-1 at the top spot in singles, while she and sophomore Rachelle Starreveld are 1-1 in doubles at the top spot in the lineup.  In the last match against No. 4 Nova Southeastern, freshman Adriana Barrio won at No. 6 singles and is 2-1 this season in singles.  Freshmen Magda Tuells Bonet and Elisa Beau won at No. 3 doubles against NSU, 6-4. 
 
Check back following the matches for complete recaps and stats.