VALDOSTA, Ga. – For the second-straight year, the Valdosta State men's tennis team returns to the NCAA Division II Men's Tennis National Championship rounds after a 4-0 victory over Barry University Tuesday afternoon at the VSU Tennis Courts in the NCAA Division II South Region #1 championship.
The Blazers (22-3), who were the top-seed in the South Region, avenged a 4-1 loss to Barry from last year's national semifinals and made sure there will be a new national champion in 2024. Barry had won the last four national titles and had been in the national championship match in 12 of the last 15. The Buccaneers end the season with a 15-7 record as VSU won both meetings with Barry this season, including a thrilling 4-3 win in Miami Shores, Fla., on Feb. 10.
VSU now advances to Altamonte Springs, Fla., and Sanlando Park for the national championship rounds, May 21-25. Either Saint Leo or Rollins will also represent the South Region at the national championships with the Blazers.
Not only did the Blazers battle the Buccaneers Tuesday, but also the rain as the match was moved up to 11:30 a.m., after heavy overnight and early morning rain. Thanks to a number of volunteers and staff using blowers to get the courts ready to play, a brief rain shower moved through the area just before 11:30 and the match was pushed back to 1 p.m., which was the original start time. That didn't stop the fans or the Blazers though. With a great buzz in the air and one of the largest crowds in recent memory at a VSU home tennis match, along with over 800 via webstream, the Blazers came out firing on all cylinders throughout.
The match got underway juniors
Takeshi Taco and
Xaveam Van Wijk upset No. 18-ranked Tim Riedel and Bastien Rime, 6-3 at the second doubles spot, to clinch the doubles point after No. 42 duo of junior
Boruch Skierkier and sophomore
Jan Skerbatis won at the third doubles spot, 6-3. No. 6-ranked duo of seniors
Rodrigo Carvalho and
Luca Mack were in a fight at the top spot in the lineup with No. 22 duo of Joao Ferreria and David Rieme. Carvalho/Mack led 5-4 win the team point was won.
Once VSU clinched the doubles point, the team continued its dominance into singles as Taco, ranked seventh nationally, posted a convincing 6-2, 6-0 win over No. 58-ranked D. Rieme at the third singles spot for a 2-0 lead. Skierkier, ranked 23
rd nationally, upset No. 9 Adam Lynch, 6-2, 6-2 at the second singles spot for a 3-0 lead and Wedel posted a 7-5, 6-0 win at the sixth singles position over Leo Caill to clinch the match. The Blazers won four of the six first sets in singles and Mack, ranked 26
th nationally, went 3-6, 6-2 at the top spot over No. 7-ranked Ferreria when the match was clinched.
VSU improved to 58-26 all-time in the NCAA postseason and qualified for the national championship rounds for the third time since 2016.
The Blazers have won 12-straight matches and have not lost a team point since a 4-1 win over Lee on Apr. 21. Check back with vstateblazers.com for updates leading to the national championship rounds and who VSU will play in the round of sixteen when it is announced later this week.
