VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State women's tennis team returns home this week and plays a rescheduled match in Pensacola, Fla., versus West Alabama, as the Blazers have four matches in five days.
 
The women's team hosts No. 3 Flagler on Wednesday at 2 p.m. ET, while both the men's and women's teams will play in Pensacola, Fla., versus No. 16 West Alabama in a makeup match from last month on Thursday at 3 p.m. ET.  The team then returns home to host No. 33 Florida Southern on Saturday, April 12 at 2 p.m., and closes the week hosting Tampa on Sunday, Apr. 13 at 1 p.m. 
 
The Blazer women's team enters the week following two heartbreaking 4-3 losses to No. 22 Mississippi College and No. 34 Auburn Montgomery last weekend.  VSU is 3-9 overall and 2-4 in Gulf South Conference play.  VSU had a 3-2 lead against MC following a 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) win by senior Kayla Greco at No. 5 singles, but the Choctaws came back with wins at Nos. 6 and 4 to clinch the match.  Against AUM, the Greco gave VSU a 3-2 lead, once again, with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 win at No. 5, but the Warhawks won at No. 3 singles and No. 6 to win the match.  
 
Blazer sophomore Natalie Rainke is 14^th nationally in singles at 11-6 this year and 6-5 this spring.  She is 4-3 in GSC play.  Rainke is 7-9 this year in doubles and 4-6 this spring.  Freshman Alyssa Novoa is 10-5 in singles this year and 6-4 this spring.  She is a team-best 6-1 in GSC play.  Novoa is 7-5 this year in doubles. 
 
Flagler enters No. 3 nationally in the latest ITA rankings as the Saints are 15-3 overall and 3-1 in the Peach Belt Conference.  Flagler is coming off a 4-3 loss to No. 14 Columbus State on Sunday and will play an exhibition against Keister (NAIA) on Tuesday, before heading to Valdosta for Wednesday's match.  In singles, Dana Heimen is sixth nationally as she is 24-7 this year overall and 13-4 in duals at the top spot in the lineup.  Anastasia-Aleksandra Nikolova is 44^th nationally at 16-5 overall and 10-5 this spring mainly at the No. 2 position.  

In doubles, Heimen and Nikolova are fifth nationally and are 20-6 this year, while going 13-4 in dual matches at the top spot.  Sofia Balsera and Adela Latalova are 11-4 this year and 9-3 this spring at the No. 3 spot in doubles.  
 
Flagler has won the last three meetings in the series, but the Blazers game it all it could handle in a 4-3 loss on Mar. 6, 2024, in Saint Augustine, Fla.  
 
The tennis teams then will travel to Pensacola, Fla., to face West Alabama in makeup matches from earlier this season to complete the GSC regular season slate.  The UWA women's team is 16^th nationally and is 10-4 overall and 5-0 in GSC play.  UWA battles No. 9 North Georgia on Tuesday before facing VSU Thursday.  Shaira Rivera is 25^th nationally for the Tigers in singles as she is 12-5 overall this year.  She is 20-4 in doubles with teammate Valentina Mutilba as the duo is ranked No. 1 nationally.  Alexa Milliam is 37^thnationally in singles for the Tigers as she is 13-0 this year and 10-3 in doubles.  
 
VSU and UWA have split the last 18 meetings as UWA has won the last eight in the series, including a heartbreaking 4-3 decision in Pensacola, on Mar. 29, 2024.  VSU's last win came on Apr. 21, 2017, in Montgomery, Ala., in a 5-1 win.  
 
The Mocs enter with a 12-4 record overall and a 3-4 mark in the Sunshine State Conference.  Florida Southern is coming off a 5-2 loss to No. 5 Barry on Saturday and will play at Embry-Riddle on Wednesday, before heading to VSU for Saturday's matchup.  
 
In singles, No. 33 Olivia Bryant leads the way for Florida Southern as she is 22-5 this year in singles and 13-3 this spring at the top spot in the lineup.  Emily Jennewein is 11-4 this spring, while Sonja Scheuermann is 10-3.  In doubles, Jolie Miller and Annika Berrendorf are 12-3 this spring and 10-3 at the No. 3 spot, while Scheuermann and Jennewein are 10-4 in doubles at the No. 2 spot in the spring.
 
VSU leads the all-time series 4-2 dating back to Feb. 7, 1980. VSU won 4-3 last season in Valdosta on Apr. 12 and won 5-4 on May 1, 2017, in the NCAA South Regional.  VSU is 2-1 all-time against FSC in Valdosta.  
 
Tampa enters the week with a 2-11 record overall and a 0-6 mark in the SSC. The Spartans will play Eckerd, Rollins and then face West Florida on Saturday in Valdosta, before playing VSU on Sunday.  In singles, Ida Axelsson leads the team with a 5-6 record and a 2-2 mark in SSC play this spring, while Nicole Casas is 4-4 as is I. Eriksson Sundling.  In doubles, Nicole Ciemiak and Victoria Sanchez are 2-7 at the top spot.  
 
The Spartans lead the all-time series 2-0 with a 4-2 win in Valdosta on Apr. 13, 2024, and a 4-3 win also in Valdosta on Feb. 29, 2020.