MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The No. 8 Valdosta State men's tennis team pulled out a hard-fought 4-2 victory over No. 3-seed Delta State Friday afternoon to reach the Gulf South Conference Championship match for the 26^th time in program history since 1994.
 
It will be a familiar matchup when the Gulf South Conference Men's Tennis Championship match happens on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET at the Lagoon Park and O'Connor Tennis Complex as VSU will battle top-seeded West Florida for the 22^nd time in the championship match since UWF joined the GSC in 1995.  VSU leads the GSC history books with 14 men's tennis titles, while West Florida is second with 12.  This also marks the sixth-straight year the teams have met in the finals with VSU winning the last three.
 
The upset-minded Statesmen (10-8) came out on fire with a pair of wins in doubles to clinch the team point.  DSU began wit ha win at No. 3 as Emile Le Terrier and Emiliano Elizarraraz downed sophomores Christian Wedel and Cameron Henricy Trigolos, 6-3, and pulled the upset at the top spot as Franco Roldan and Jordan Hays upset top-ranked duo of sophomores Luca Mack and Rodrigo, Carvalho, 7-6 (8-6).  At No. 2 doubles, VSU freshman Lamar Bartley and junior Christian Felline and DSU duo of Hugo Stroppiana and Come Bracaval were tied 6-6 when the point was clinched.
 
The lead was short lived for the Statesmen, however, as Bartley, ranked No. 70 nationally, downed Bravaval, 6-1, 6-2 at No. 3, for a 1-1 score.  The Blazers took the lead as Wedel downed Elizarraraz 6-4, 6-4 at No. 4 for a 2-1 lead.  DSU tied the match with a win at No. 5 as Hays downed Felline, 6-4, 6-3, but the Blazers held strong with a pair of tough matches at the top two spots for the win.
 
Carvalho put VSU up 3-2 as he won a pair of grueling tiebreakers, 7-6, (7-5) and 7-6 (10-8) at No. 2 over Le Terrier.  Carvalho entered the tournament No. 48 nationally.  Mack, ranked ninth nationally in singles, needed three sets to down No. 68 Stroppiana, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 for the win.  Henricy Trigolos was in a tight match in the third set at No. 6 with Roldan, 6-4, 5-7, 4-5, when the match was clinched.
 
VSU (14-5) looks to avenge its only conference loss of the season against No. 11 West Florida (19-6) on Saturday and win its fourth-straight GSC championship to earn the automatic bid to the NCAA South Regional.  VSU sits fourth in the final public region rankings, which were released Friday.  West Florida is sixth in the rankings. 

The 2022 NCAA Division II Men's Tennis Selection Show is set for May 3 at 8 p.m. ET on NCAA.com.