VALDOSTA, Ga. – Returning to Gulf South Conference play this week, the Valdosta State men's and women's tennis teams return to Pensacola, Fla., this weekend.  
 
The Blazer men open with Christian Brothers on Friday at 2 p.m. ET.  Saturday afternoon VSU battles Mississippi College at 2 p.m. ET and concludes the weekend with West Alabama on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. ET.  In addition to the three matches above, the women's team also faces West Georgia on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. ET. at the Ralph "Skeeter" Carson Tennis Complex on the campus of the University of West Florida.  
 
The Blazers men, who are No. 6 nationally in the latest ITA Division II Tennis rankings, stand at 7-4 overall and 3-1 in GSC play.  West Florida leads the conference standings at 5-0, while Auburn Montgomery is 3-0 and West Alabama is 4-1.  VSU's only league loss was a 4-3 heartbreaker at West Florida last week.  
 
Columbus State takes over the top spot in the national rankings this week, while Barry sits second, followed by Saint Leo.  Hawaii Pacific is fourth, followed by Embry-Riddle and VSU is sixth.  North Georgia sits seventh, followed by Indianapolis, Wayne State (Mich.) and Flagler is tenth.  West Florida is 15^th, while Lee is 17^th.  Delta State is 40^th, while Auburn Montgomery is 42^nd among GSC teams.
 
In singles, Blazer sophomore Luca Mack is ninth nationally with a 12-3 mark this season, including a 6-5 mark this spring and a 2-2 record in league play at the top spot in the lineup.  Sophomore Rodrigo Carvalho is 57^th with a 7-4 record overall this year and a 7-3 mark this spring.  Carvalho is 7-3 at the No. 3 spot in the lineup this spring and 3-1 in GSC play.  Mack and Carvalho, in doubles, are No. 3 nationally with a 9-4 record for the year and a 4-4 record this spring at the top spot.  
 
Leading the way for the Blazers in singles this season is sophomore Christian Wedel who is 9-1 this spring and 4-0 in GSC play as he has won seven-straight matches.  Sophomore Cameron Henricy Trigolos is 6-3 this spring and 3-0 in GSC play, while he is 6-2 at the No. 6 spot.  Junior Christian Felline and freshman Lamar Bartley are 6-4 this season and 2-2 at the No. 2 doubles position, while Carvalho and Wedel are 3-0 overall and 2-0 in GSC play at No. 3 doubles.  As a team, the Blazers are 39-24 this spring in singles and 17-7 in GSC play, while the team is 18-14 in doubles and 7-5 in GSC play.   Wedel earned GSC Player of the Week honors for the first time this season on Wednesday, while Bartley earned the honor for the second time as Freshman of the Week.
 
Christian Brothers enters with a 6-11 mark overall and a 1-6 record in GSC play.  The Buccaneers' lone GSC victory came in a 5-2 win over Shorter on Feb. 19.  VSU has won the last ten meetings in the series and have allowed just one point during that span, dating back to 2011.  
 
Mississippi College enters at 3-7 on the year and 2-2 in GSC play.  VSU leads the all-time series with MC, 8-0, dating back to 2013.  VSU has allowed just three points in the series and none since 2017.  Leading the way for the Choctaws this season is Hsiang Wang Yi with a 4-1 record this spring and a 1-0 mark in GSC play, all at the No. 3 position for singles.  In doubles, Matias Ballatore and Carlos Trujillo are 3-3 this spring and 0-1 in GSC play at the top spot, while Wang Yi and Brady McDaniel are 3-0 at No. 2 doubles. 
 
West Alabama enters at 7-5 overall and 4-1 in GSC play.  The Tigers are led by Illari Vesanen who is No. 56 in singles and 7-3 this spring.  He is 4-0 in GSC play and 6-3 at No. 2 singles overall.  Loic Danze is 8-1 this spring and 4-1 in GSC play playing at Nos. 4-6, while Nuutti Jokinen is 7-3 this spring and 3-1 in GSC play.  He is 6-2 at No. 4 singles.  Jokinen and Danze are 7-4 in doubles and 5-0 in GSC play at Nos. 2 and 3.  VSU has won 12 of the last 15 meetings in the series and eight-straight dating back to a 5-2 loss on Apr. 19, 2014, in Montgomery, Ala.  
 
The women's team enters the week with a 4-8 record overall and a 3-1 mark in Gulf South Conference play.  The Blazers are coming off a 4-0 loss to No. 12 Lynn on Friday and a heartbreaking 4-3 loss at No. 24 West Florida.  West Alabama leads the conference with a 6-0 mark in conference play and an 11-4 record overall.  Auburn Montgomery is 4-0 in league play, while West Florida is 4-1 and VSU is 3-1.  Mississippi College is 3-2 in conference play and 10-2 overall, while Christian Brothers is 4-3 in the GSC and 13-3 this season.  West Georgia is 0-4 in league play and 4-7 overall.
 
The Blazers are 34-34 this spring in singles and 20-4 in GSC play, while they are 17-17 in doubles and 10-2 in league play.  Freshman Adriana Barrio is 8-4 in singles this spring and 4-0 in GSC play, going 4-2 at the No. 5 position and 4-1 at the No. 6 spot.  Freshman Magda Tuells Bonet is 6-5 this spring and 4-0 in league play, competing at both No. 1 and No. 2.  Freshman Anastasiia Vorobiova is 5-4 this spring in singles and 3-1 in league play.  In doubles, VSU is led by freshman Elisa Beau and Tuells Bonet at 5-2 in the spring and 3-1 in league play at the No. 3 spot.  
 
CBU enters with a 13-3 record overall and a 4-3 mark in the GSC.  CBU has won five of its last six matches.  VSU leads the series with a 7-0 record and won 4-3 in the last meeting in Montgomery, Ala., on Apr. 16, 2021.  
 
UWG enters with a 5-7 record overall and a 1-4 mark in the GSC.  The Wolves have won three-straight matches and will battle Mississippi College Friday, before facing VSU on Saturday morning.  Perrine Blachon and Elle Jones each are 7-4 this spring in singles. 
 
The match will be part of the Red Clay Rivalry Series between VSU and West Georgia.  VSU leads the inaugural series 5-2 through the winter season.  In women's tennis, VSU leads the series winning the last 12 meetings, dating back to 2011.  VSU won in Pensacola in the last meeting on Apr. 11, 2021, 7-0.  
 
Mississippi College enters with a 10-2 record overall and a 3-2 mark in the GSC.  Emma Roberts leads the team with an 8-1 record in singles this spring, while Fernanda Cota is 7-1 and Anna Didkovska is 7-2.   In doubles, Roberts and Maria Rodriguez are 7-1, while Didkovska and Anna Valiaeva are 8-1. 
 
VSU and MC are tied 3-3 all-time in the series as the Choctaws have won the last three matches, including a 4-3 decision on Apr. 12, 2021, in Pensacola, Fla.  
 
West Alabama enters at 11-4 overall and a perfect 6-0 in GSC play.  The Tigers have four players who have ten or more wins each this spring in single, led by Almudena Sanz at 11-2 at the top spot in the lineup.  Katia de la Garza is 10-0 at No. 3, while Haina Franco is 10-1 at No. 2 and Valeria Arevalo is 10-4 overall and 9-4 at No. 6.  In doubles, Hardjia Vidnere and Ly. Heden are 8-1 for the spring, while Sanz and Irwan Deewajee are 8-4, including 7-4 at No. 2.  
 
VSU has won seven of the past 12 matches, but UWA has won the last four, including a 5-2 decision on Apr. 11, 2021, in Pensacola, Fla.  Prior to the four wins by UWA, VSU had won seven-straight.
 
Following the matches this weekend, the Blazers continue on the road on Apr. 8 at Montevallo and Apr. 13 at Columbus State, before returning home for the regular season home finale on Apr. 20 against Auburn Montgomery at 3 p.m. at the VSU Tennis Courts.