VALDOSTA, Ga. – In another classic edition of two titans of NCAA Division II men's tennis, No. 6 Valdosta State defeated top-ranked West Florda 5-2 Friday afternoon at the VSU Tennis Complex in a key Gulf South Conference match in front of a very large crowd. 
 
The Blazers improved to 7-0 overall and 2-0 in GSC play winning 23^rd-straight match dating back to last season, while UWF saw its 11-match winning streak come to an end falling to 11-1 overall and 3-1 in GSC play.  UWF moved from No. 2 to No. 1 this week in the latest ITA national rankings, while the defending national champion Blazers, who were No. 1, somehow dropped to No. 6 in the poll.
 
VSU won two of the three doubles matches to claim the team point, but it wasn't easy as No. 43-ranked duo of seniors Arthur Bord and Edgar Destouet won 6-4 at No. 2 over Albin Ekenros and Miguel Cabrera, batting back from a 4-2 deficit to win the final four games.   UWF's duo of Jordi Leston and Sebastian Sotelo won 7-5 at No. 3 as the point came down to the top spot between a pair of top ten doubles teams.  Blazer duo of seniors Takeshi Taco and Xaveam Van Wijk, ranked sixth nationally, won 7-6 (7-5) over No. 4-ranked tandem of Sebastian Rondon and Diego Duran in a tightly contested match. 
 
In singles, Destouet, ranked No. 23 nationally, downed Durnan, No. 29 nationally, 6-4, 6-1 for a 2-0 lead, but Rondon, ranked No. 16, upset No. 5 senior Boruch Skiekier, 6-4, 6-3, for a 2-1 VSU lead.  Sotelo, ranked 35^th nationally tied the match at 2-2 with a 6-0, 6-4 win over junior Jerome Iaconi at No. 4, but Blazer freshman Julien Doitteau continued his strong start with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 win at No. 6 over No. 67 Alex Maulouet for a 3-2 lead.
 
Taco, the top-ranked player in Division I, downed Cabrera, ranked sixth nationally, 6-3 in the first set at the top spot in the lineup and rallied from a 3-5 deficit in the second set for a 7-6 (7-4) win to give VSU the win.  Senior Jan Skerbatis won 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4) at No. 5 singles over Ekenros for a 5-2 win.
 
VSU concluded its season-opening home stand with the 7-0 record and its match which was scheduled for Sunday morning versus Lynn was canceled due to the impending weather coming to Valdosta later this weekend.  The Blazers now will head to Pensacola, Fla., to face Delta State on Mar. 14 at 3 p.m. ET and then versus West Alabama on Mar. 15 at 3 p.m. ET also in Pensacola.