ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – The top-ranked and third seed Saint Leo University men's tennis team saw its season come to a close following a close battle against the two-seed #3 Valdosta State. The Lions battled back from a 3-0 deficit to tie the match at 3-3 and fought till the very end as the final court was decided in a tiebreaker in the third set. Saint Leo finishes the season 24-4 as a national semifinalist.  

Doubles play saw the Blazers quickly earn a pair of wins to clinch the early 1-0 lead. VSU won doubles one 6-1 and doubles two 6-0. Eduardo Cohen and Vincent Thiel had just tied doubles three at 4-4 when the match was abandoned due to the clinch on court two.

Valdosta State opened singles play with two set victories at number three and four singles to take a 3-0 match lead. For the third straight match, Dylan Andrianaly picked up the first singles point for the Lions as he made it a 3-1 match with a pair of 6-2 wins. #2 Martin Soukal made it a 3-2 match with a 6-3 win and a 6-4 win. After dropping the first set, Luis Iriarte tied it at one set a piece with a 6-4 victory in the second set. He battled in the final set for a 6-3 win to tie the match at 3-3.

The match came down to number two singles featuring #8 Vincent Thiel and VSU's #23 Boruch Skierkier. Skierkier took the first set 6-4 and Thiel matched him with a 6-4 set two victory to even it up at one set each. Thiel jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the final set before Skierkier rallied to take a 4-3 advantage. Thiel rallied thrice to tie the match at 4-4, 5-5, and 6-6. The tiebreaker set was a battle as it went back and forth before Skierkier fended off Thiel to win the tiebreaker 7-3 and clinch the match, 4-3 in favor of the Blazers.

(2) #3 VALDOSTA STATE 4, (3) #1 SAINT LEO 3
DOUBLES

1. #6 Rodrigo Carvalho/Luca Mack (VSU) def. #28 Luis Iriarte/Martin Soukal (SLU) 6-1
2. Takeshi Taco/Xaveam Van Wijk (VSU) def. Nicolas Bacella/Ghali Mensour (SLU) 6-0
3. Eduardo Cohen/Vincent Theil (SLU) vs. Jan Skerbatis/Boruch Skierkier (VSU) 4-4 UF

SINGLES

1. #2 Martin Soukal (SLU) def. #26 Luca Mack (VSU) 6-3, 6-4
2. #23 Boruch Skierkier (VSU) def. #8 Vincent Thiel (SLU) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(3)
3. #7 Takeshi Taco (VSU) def. Nicolas Bacella (SLU) 6-3, 6-2
4. Rodrigo Carvalho (VSU) def. Ghali Mensour (SLU) 6-4, 6-4
5. Dylan Andrianaly (SLU) def. Jerome Iaconi (VSU) 6-2, 6-2
6. Luis Iriarte (SLU) def. Christian Wedel (VSU) 2-6, 6-4, 6-3