MIAMI SHORES, Fla.  – In a match worthy of the top two teams in the country in NCAA Division II Men's Tennis, the No. 1-ranked Valdosta State Blazers held the lead for a majority of the match and then battled back to defeat defending national champion No. 2-ranked Barry University 4-3 Saturday afternoon. 
 
VSU won the regular season meeting with Barry last season in Valdosta and then the Buccaneers handed the Blazers their only loss of the season in 2023, in the national semifinals in Orlando, Fla.
 
In the highly anticipated rematch, the Blazers (3-0, 1-0 GSC) got off to a quick start they won the doubles point, winning all three matches.  VSU's top duo of senior Luca Mack and junior Rodrigo Carvalho made quick work of Adam Lynch and Simone Cavalleri, 6-2, to set the tone.  Junior Takeshi Taco and freshman Jerome Iaconi won 7-5 over Joao Ferreria and David Rieme to clinch the point, closely followed by sophomore Jan Skerbatis and senior Christian Wedel winning 6-4 over Bastien Rieme and Tim Riedel for the early lead.
 
Heading to singles play, Mack improved to 3-0 on the year as he downed No. 3 Lynch 6-3, 6-2, for a 2-0 lead keeping the momentum strong for the red and black.  B. Rieme upset Wedel, who was ranked No. 29 nationally, 6-1, 7-6, for a 2-1 VSU lead at the number five spot.  Barry's Leo Caill defeated Iaconi in straight-sets, 6-4, 7-5, at the number six spot to tie the match.  Barry (1-1) then took a 3-2 lead as D. Rieme upset Taco, ranked No. 4 nationally, a 2-6, 7-6, 6-2, at the number three position.
 
Coming down to the final two spots, at Nos. 2 and 4, the Blazers trailed to win the second set of each match and then each trailed in the third, but Carvalho rallied at No. 2 after losing the first set to Ferreria, 6-4, winning the second 6-3.  Carvalho fought off two match points trailing 4-5 in the third and rallied to win the last three games for a 7-5 victory, leveling the match at 3-3. 
 
Blazer newcomer, junior Boruch Skierkier, ranked No. 16 nationally, dropped the first set to Riedel, 6-1, but rallied for a 6-3 victory in the second set.  From there, Skierkier found another gear as the Buccaneers were just about to taste victory as he rallied for a 6-4 win to clinch the match. 
 
In the storied history of these two outstanding programs, VSU now has won three of the last four meetings, while winning its first match in Miami Shores, since a 5-4 victory there on May 9, 2016, in the regional.  Moreover, it was the first regular season victory there for VSU since Feb. 18, 2008. 
 
VSU has a quick turnaround as it travels to No. 22 Lynn for a 10 a.m., match on Sunday morning in Boca Raton, Fla.  Fans can access links to live stats at vstateblazers.com on the men's tennis schedule page.