VALDOSTA, Ga. – The 2024 National Champion Valdosta State men's tennis team finished as the top-ranked team in the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division II Men's Top 25, announced Wednesday afternoon.  
 
The Blazers won their third national title in program history last weekend with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Flagler College in Altamonte Springs, Fla.  The match came down to the final court, where senior Christian Wedel won five of the final six games at No. 6 singles to defeat Flagler's Aly El Rafie, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.  VSU won the national title in 2006 and 2011 and had not played in the title match since 2011 before this season. VSU finished the year 26-3 overall and went 8-1 in Gulf South Conference play, while finishing the season winning its final 16 matches in a row.  The Blazers won their Gulf South Conference-best 16^th league title this season. 
 
Saint Leo, who VSU defeated 4-0 in the national semifinals, finished second in the ITA rankings, followed by national runner-up Flagler.  Barry, who VSU defeated 4-0 in the NCAA South Sub-Regional final in Valdosta, was fourth and national semifinalist Columbus State rounded out the top five.  Rollins was sixth, followed by University of Indianapolis, West Florida, Washburn and Wingate finished tenth.  
 
Charleston (W.Va.), who VSU defeated in the national quarterfinals, was 13^th, while Jefferson (Pa.) who VSU defeated in the Sweet Sixteen finished 43^rd.  From the South Region, Embry-Riddle was 14^th, followed by Mississippi College (17^th), Florida Southern (18^th), while Auburn Montgomery was 28^th and Lee was 29^th among teams in the top 30.  
 
Click here for the final rankings.  
 
In singles, junior Boruch Skierkier finished sixth nationally at a staggering 30-1 record which tied him for third in singles victories in NCAA Division II this season.  Skierkier went a blistering 26-0 this spring for the Blazers.  Junior teammate Takeshi Taco finished ninth nationally in singles with a 31-5 record.  The 31 victories tied Taco for the most in Division II with Tiffin's Ruben Fonga (31-2), who finished third nationally.  Both Skierkier and Taco most likely will earn ITA All-America honors by their final rankings. 
 
UIndy's Tom Zeuch finished as the top singles player in the final rankings with a 25-4 record, while Saint Leo's Martin Soukal was second, followed by Fonga for third.  Wayne State (Mich.) Daniel Grey was fourth, followed by Mississippi College's Alex Benichou Blanchard for fifth.   Blazer senior Luca Mack finished 36^th nationally with a 13-7 record this spring in singles.  
 
Mack and senior Rodrigo Carvalho finished sixth nationally in singles with a 13-1 record as they, too, will likely earn All-America honors in doubles. Wayne State duo of Cedric Drenth and Grey were the top doubles team this season, followed by UIndy tandem of Mathieu Derache and Zeuch.  Harding's doubles team of Cas De Ruiter and Teodor Zlatar finished third.  Taco and junior Xaveam Van Wijk finished 36^th nationally in doubles with a 10-5 record, while Skierkier and sophomore Jan Skerbatis finished 47^th nationally with a 21-3 record.