TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Valdosta State men's tennis season came to an end Thursday morning in the quarterfinal round of the 2026 Gulf South Conference Championships.   The Blazers fell 4-0 to No. 16 West Alabama.  
 
VSU finished a season with numerous injuries at 5-12, while West Alabama improved to 13-6 and advances to the semifinal round Friday.  UWA won by forfeit at No. 3 doubles and then Jacob Tapia and Federico Iturbe, ranked No. 18 nationally, won 6-1 over senior Wilson Igbinovia and freshman Emile Delporte to clinch the doubles point.  Blazer No. 2 duo of senior Jerome Iaconi and freshman Pietro Casciola held a 4-2 lead over Maksim Goncharov and Afonso Portugal when the point was clinched.  
 
The Blazers also had to forfeit at the No. 6 singles position for a 2-0 deficit.  Portugal won 6-1, 6-1 over Igbinovia at No. 2 for a 3-0 lead and Sebastiao Vilas clinched the match with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Yohann Meunier at No. 5.  
 
Several other matches were still going when the clinching point happened.  Iaconi, ranked No. 60, won the first set over Tapia at the top spot, 6-3, while Tapia came back in the second for a 6-2 win and held a 3-2 lead in the third.  
 
Delporte also won the first set at No. 3 singles over No. 23 Iturbe, 6-3, but trailed 3-4 in the second set. Casciola held a 6-5 lead in the second set at No. 4, after dropping the first set 6-4 to Goncharov at No. 4.