VALDOSTA, Ga. – In a pair of makeup matches from earlier this season, the Valdosta State men's and women's tennis teams close the 2025 regular season Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. at the VSU Tennis Complex versus Georgia College for Senior Day.
 
Prior to the match, the Blazers will honor nine seniors playing in their final regular season match of their VSU careers.  On the men's side, the 2025 senior class includes; Arthur Bord, Edgar Destouet, Boruch Skierkier, Takeshi Taco and Xaveam Van Wijk.  For the women's team, the class includes; Viktoriia Fedorova, Kayla Greco, Valentina Jimenez and Olivia Pezo.  The Blazers wish each of these seniors best of luck in their future endeavors.   
 
The Blazer men's team enters No. 3 nationally and somehow dropped in the ITA rankings despite being undefeated this season and defeating both teams ahead of it, No. 1 West Florida (W, 5-2) and No. 2 Barry (W, 6-1). VSU enters with a 16-0 record this season and went 8-0 in Gulf South Conference play winning the GSC regular season.  The Blazers are looking for their second undefeated regular season in three years (2023).  Dating back to last season, the Blazers have won 32-straight matches.
 
On Wednesday the first NCAA South Region rankings were released and the Blazers were one of ten teams under consideration.  Despite being No. 3 in the ITA poll, the NCAA Region Rankings are how teams are awarded berths in the NCAA postseason.  The South Region teams under consideration in alphabetical order include; Barry, Embry-Riddle, Florida Southern, Lee, Mississippi College, Rollins, Saint Leo, Spring Hill, Valdosta State and West Florida. VSU is 7-0 against the teams under consideration in the rankings.  Georgia College is under consideration in the Southeast Region and the Blazers defeated from that region Columbus State and Lander earlier this season.  Click here for the NCAA Region Rankings.  
 
With the conference regular season title in hand, the Blazers will open their title defense of the Gulf South Conference Championship next Thursday at 3:30 p.m. ET in Montgomery, Ala., at Lagoon Park and O'Connor Tennis Center versus No. 8-seed Christian Brothers.  VSU is looking for its 17^th Gulf South Conference Championship in program history as its 16 titles are most in league history.  Click here for the GSC Championship Central webpage.
 
Entering the match on Friday, Georgia College is 28^th nationally.  The Bobcats are 13-4 overall and went 2-3 in Peach Belt Conference play, winning 4-3 against No. 21 North Georgia last Saturday and losing 5-2 at No. 19 Columbus State on Wednesday. 
 
This season, the Bobcats are led by Luka Sauer Jimenez who is 16-6 this season and 12-3 this spring mainly at the No. 3 spot in single.  Rodrigo Perez Crespo is 14-8 this year and 12-4 in the spring as he mainly plays at the No. 2 spot.  Chase Martin is 10-5 this spring at the No. 1 spot.  In doubles, Gabe Cizek, brother of former Blazer Robert Cizek, and Thomas Brewer are 11-3 this season mainly at No. 3 doubles, while Sauer Jimenez and Noe Villen are 9-8 overall, but 8-5 this spring at the No. 2 spot.  Martin/Perez Crespo are 11-3 in doubles this spring at the top spot. 
 
VSU has won the last four meetings in the series and is 10-2 since Feb. 8, 2009.  The Blazers are 6-1 in Valdosta against Georgia College and have won five-straight at home.  GC's won 6-3 in Valdosta on Feb. 6, 2013.  
 
The Blazers are led this season by Taco who is No. 3 nationally in singles at 18-1 overall for the year and 8-1 this spring.  He and Van Wijk are 13-3 overall in doubles and ranked No. 9 nationally.  Skierkier is No. 4 nationally in singles at 23-3 overall and 12-1 this spring.  Though not ranked in doubles, he is 14-6 this year with junior Jan Skerbatis.  Destouet is 21-1 this season overall and a perfect 15-0 this spring as he is ranked 22^nd this week.  In doubles, Destouet, paired with graduate student Arthur Bord, are seventh nationally to lead the team.  The duo is 15-4 in doubles this season.  
 
On the women's side, the Blazers enter with a 5-12 record overall and went 2-6 in Gulf South Conference play.  Sophomore Natalie Rainke is 12^th nationally in singles at 14-7 this year and 9-6 this spring at the top spot in the lineup.  She has had some big wins over ranked players this season, including a three-set win over No. 2 Dana Heimen of No. 4 Flagler last week as Rainke's match gave VSU a 4-3, upset victory over Flagler.  Freshman Alyssa Novoa is 59^th nationally this season at 11-7 in singles this year and 7-6 this spring.  
 
The Blazers earned the No. 7-seed in the upcoming Gulf South Conference championship and will battle No. 2-seed Mississippi College on Thursday, Apr. 24 at 11 a.m. ET in Montgomery, Ala., at Lagoon Park & O'Connor Tennis Center.  Click here for the GSC Championship Central webpage.
 
Georgia College enters ranked 36^th nationally at 13-5 overall and 3-3 in PBC play.  The Bobcats have dropped their last three matches with a 5-2 loss at Flagler, a 6-1 loss to North Georgia and a 5-2 loss at Columbus State.  For the Bobcats in singles Ashley Bentz is 14-8 this year and 11-5 this spring, while Rachel Black is 15-7 overall and 13-5 in the spring.  In doubles, Chiara Santoro and Black are 13-4 this spring at the top spot, while Bentz and Shradha Chhabra are 10-5 this year and 8-3 in the spring.  
 
VSU leads the series with GC 7-6 since Feb. 8, 2009, and won 5-2 in Milledgeville on Feb. 21, 2024, in the last meeting.  Prior to that, GC had won four of five.  VSU last won at home on Feb. 7, 2020, in a 4-1 win.  The Blazers are 4-3 all-time in Valdosta against GC.