LAKELAND, Fla. – The No. 2 Valdosta State men's tennis team dropped its second-straight match with a heartbreaking 4-3 loss at No. 14 Florida Southern on Monday.  VSU battled back to take a 3-2 lead with two matches to finish, but were unable to hang on.
 
The Blazers (1-2) dropped the doubles point losing at both Nos. 1 and 2, while Blazer No. 3 duo of freshman Emile Delporte and sophomore Julien Doitteau held a 5-3 lead when the point was clinched.  The upset-minded Moccasins took a 2-0 lead with a 6-3, 6-4 win by Bosko Bokovic over Delporte at No. 5 singles, but Doitteau won 7-5, 6-2 at No. 1 singles for a 2-1 margin. 
 
VSU carried the momentum of the Doitteau win as junior Philipp Bosse won 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) at No. 2 singles and won at No. 4 as freshman Jan Thissen posted a 6-0, 0-6, 7-6 (7-3) victory at No. 4 for a 3-2 lead.  FSC's (2-1) Onur Turgut battled back from a 7-6 (7-4) loss in the opening set for a pair of 6-2 wins in the second and third sets over VSU senior Wilson Igbinovia and Mar Antonio Morales won 6-3, 6-0 at No. 6 over freshman Pietro Casciola to win the match.  
 
The Blazers return to action on Feb. 28 at Coastal Georgia at 2 p.m., before returning home to open Gulf South Conference play on Mar. 4 at 2 p.m. at the VSU Tennis Courts against Lee.