Staff reports
VALDOSTA — Valdosta State’s women’s tennis team swept Nova Southeastern on the second day of the NCAA South Regional tournament Friday afternoon.
With the win, the fourth-ranked Lady Blazers advanced to the regional finals, and will meet No. 5 West Florida at 9 a.m. Saturday. The winner will earn a berth in the NCAA Division II national tournament next week in Altamonte Springs, Fla.
The Lady Blazers jumped out to an early 3-0 lead with three doubles victories. Valdosta State’s Raphaelle Durante and Karine Redon, playing No. 1 doubles, defeated Ulia Talalenko and Justine Feaster 8-2. VSU’s Natali Gumbrecht and Tina Trautmann won 8-4 over Edita Kulichova and Karolina Porizkova. Kristel de Groot and Sonya Haggstrom defeated Mary Crider and Paige Lindsley 8-6.
After the 3-0 sweep, VSU only needed two victories in singles action, and got them from Durante and Redon. Durante won easily, 6-0, 6-0, over Kulichova at No. 2 singles. Redon, playing in the fifth spot, won 6-1, 6-0 over Lindsley to wrap up the victory for the Lady Blazers.
The other four matches were not finished, getting called after VSU wrapped up the team win.
Valdosta State’s men’s tennis team was also successful on Friday, sweeping Rollins in its NCAA South Regionals match in Boca Raton, Fla.
Like the women’s team, the Blazers won all three doubles matches to gain the early lead. Joerg Ekkenga and Leos Jelinek defeated Adrian Tan and Jeff Morris 9-7 at No. 1 doubles. Daniel Dueren and Michael Kuech knocked off Neil Clausen and Gustavo Carvalho 8-3, and Florian Halb and Otto Lenhart defeated Bill Rockwood and Nick Rowlands 8-4.
Valdosta State then got two singles victories from Jelinek and Lenhart to wrap up the match. Jelinek beat Carvalho 6-0, 6-1, while Lenhart defeated Rockwood 6-0, 6-3.
With the 5-0 win, Valdosta State moves on to face Lynn in the finals today in Boca Raton.
