ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – The No. 2-seed Valdosta State men's tennis team posted a 4-0 victory over No. 10-seed Charleston (W.Va.) Wednesday morning to advance to the NCAA National Semifinals for the second-straight year.  
 
The Blazers (24-3) received a stiff challenge from the upset-minded Eagles (19-3) as VSU now will face No. 3-seed Saint Leo on Friday at 9 a.m., for a berth in the 2024 NCAA Division II Men's Tennis Championship Match, scheduled for Saturday, May 25 at 9 a.m. at Sanlando Park.  Check back with vstateblazers.com on the men's tennis schedule page for links to live stats and more for Friday's match.
 
VSU's No. 3 doubles tandem of junior Boruch Skierkier and sophomore Jan Skerbatis, ranked 42nd nationally, dispatched Charleston's duo of Ruben Acuna and Marcelo Mifano Pinto, 6-3.  Things were interesting at the top two spots as juniors Takeshi Taco and Xaveam Van Wijk were in a tiebreaker at 4-1 in favor of the Blazers at No. 2 over Omar Elsamahy and Vincente Garcia when the team point was clinched.  Sixth-ranked Blazer duo of seniors Rodrigo Carvalho and Luca Mack roared back from a 5-2 deficit for a 7-5 win to give the Blazers the early lead. 
 
Taco posted a convincing 7-5, 6-2 win at No. 3 over Elsamahy for a 2-0 lead, while freshman Jerome Iaconi won 6-1, 6-3 at No. 5 over Garcia for a 3-0 lead. Skierkier, ranked 23^rd nationally, won 6-3, 6-3, over Acuna to clinch the win.  
 
The final four teams have a distinctly "Southern" feel as the Blazers and the Lions battle Friday morning, while Columbus State tangles with top-seeded Flagler, marking both teams from the South and Southeast regions qualifying for the semifinals.  Both Columbus State and VSU reached the semifinals a year ago.    
 
VSU posted a thrilling 4-3 victory over Saint Leo on April 14, in Saint Leo, Fla., as the Lions were the top-ranked team in the country.  SLU won the doubles point as Nos. 2 and 3, while Carvalho/Mack won 6-3 at the top spot over Luis Irirate and Martin Soukal.  Senior Christian Wedel broke a 3-3 tie at the No. 5 spot with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 win over Dylan Andrianaly to clinch the match.   
 
The Blazers also have faced Columbus State and Flagler this season, defeating Columbus State -7-0 on Feb. 29 in Valdosta, while losing to Flagler in the first match of the 2024 Men's ITA Indoor National Championship in Indianapolis, Ind., 4-3 on Feb. 16.