VALDOSTA, Ga. – The No. 3-ranked Valdosta State men's tennis team is scheduled to open the 2024 NCAA Division II Men's Tennis National Championship Round of 16 on Tuesday, May 21 at 12 p.m. versus Jefferson (Pa.) at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs, Fla.
 
The Blazers are the No. 2-seed in the championship, while Jefferson is the No. 15-seed.  Fans can access links to live stats vstateblazers.com on the men's tennis schedule page.  Only the semifinals and championship will be streamed at NCAA.com.  Live stats will be available for every round.  The championship is free for fans interested in attending. Click here for more information on the 2024 NCAA Division II National Championships Festival.
 
Flagler earned the top overall seed and will play No. 16-seed Edinboro (Pa.), while Saint Leo earned the No. 3-seed and will battle No. 14-seed Queens (N.Y.).  The No. 4-seed is Columbus State who will face No. 13-seed UT Permian Basin.  UIndy earned the No. 5-seed and will face No. 12-seed Southern Arkansas.  In the 6/11 matchup, Washburn (Kan.) faces Wayne State (Mich.). 
 
If VSU were to defeat Jefferson, it would face the winner of the 7/10 match up between Azusa Pacific (Calif.) and Charleston (W.Va.) on Wednesday also at 9 a.m.  The semifinals are set for 9 a.m. on Friday, May 24, and the national championship match is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 25.
 
The Blazers enter at 22-3 overall and are No. 3 nationally in the latest ITA rankings and are 3-2 this season against the 16 teams in the field with wins over Hawaii Pacific, Columbus State and Saint Leo, along with losses to Flagler and UIndy at the ITA Indoor National Championship in February. 
 
In the South Region #1 tournament, the Blazers downed Spring Hill College 4-0 on May 13 and then defeated four-time defending national champion Barry 4-0 on May 14 to clinch their spot in the national championship rounds for the second-straight year and the third time since 2016.  VSU, along with Jefferson, Columbus State, Charleston, UIndy, Wayne State, Hawaii Pacific, Flagler and Azusa Pacific all qualified for the championship rounds last season and in 2024.
 
Last season, VSU defeated Fairmont State (4-0), Cameron (4-1) and lost to eventual national champion Barry (4-1) in the national semifinals.  Barry defeated Columbus State 4-2 in the title match.  This marks the Blazers' third trip to the national championship rounds since 2016.  VSU won national titles in 2006 and 2011 and are 58-26 all-time in the NCAA postseason in its 29^th appearance.  
 
The 58 victories by VSU are the most of the 16 teams in the field as are the 29 appearances in the postseason, along with two titles.  Columbus State also has one title and is second among the field in wins with a 48-22 mark in the postseason.  Hawaii Pacific third among the field in wins with a 47-19 record in its 21^st appearance and has one title. 
 
Jefferson is out of the East Region and located in Philadelphia, Pa.  The Rams are 18-5 on the year after defeating Adelphi 4-2 on Monday to earn a spot in the national championship rounds.  Jefferson went a perfect 9-0 in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC), but lost to Queens (N.Y.) in the conference tournament as Queens also advanced to the round of 16 as the No. 14-seed. 
 
The Rams lost 6-1 to Florida Southern this season, beat Palm Beach Atlantic (6-1) and lost 7-0 to Flagler against teams from the South.  Hannibal Borg is 15-6 this spring and 14-5 at the top spot in the singles lineup, while Antonio Mateos Melenchon is 16-6 overall this spring and went 7-1 in league play.  In doubles Mateos Melenchon and Jules Thibault are 18-3 and went 8-1 in league play.  
 
Borg was named Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Player of the Year, while Johary Rabetrano earned CACC Co-Rookie of the Year, while head coach Fred Perrin was named Coach of the Year in his first season at the helm of the program.  Mario Antonio and Thibault also earned all-league honors.  
 
For the Blazers, junior Takeshi Taco is seventh nationally in singles at 26-5, while he is 14-9 in doubles.  Taco earned First Team All-Gulf South Conference honors this season.  He is 20-3 this spring and went 8-1 in conference play.  Taco finished in the semifinals of the ITA Cup last fall.  Fellow junior Boruch Skierkier is 23^rd nationally and 26-1 this season and is a perfect 22-0 this spring.  Skierkier and sophomore Jan Skerbatis are 42^nd nationally in doubles and are 17-3 this spring and went 7-1 in GSC play.  Skierkier earned All-GSC first team honors and has won 22-straight matches in singles.  
 
Senior Luca Mack earned first team all-league honors for the third-straight year in 2023-24.  Mack is 26^th nationally in singles with a 14-5 record this spring.  He and senior Rodrigo Carvalho are sixth nationally in doubles and 11-1 this spring.  Both have earned ITA All-America honors each of the past two seasons.  Senior Christian Wedel earned second team all-league honors for his fourth season of earning all-league honors to lead the team.  Wedel is 16-3 this spring in singles and went 7-1 in GSC play, while he is 12-2 in doubles and went 7-1 in league play as well.