Blazer tennis second at Gulf South
Published 9:34 pm Monday, December 5, 2005
ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — Just like the 22 previous opponents, the Valdosta State men’s tennis team couldn’t stop the Argonaut Express here Saturday.
Top-ranked and unbeaten West Florida defeated Valdosta State, 5-0, to win its second-straight and sixth Gulf South Conference title. West Florida is now 23-0 this season, including two wins over Valdosta State (11-6).
West Florida is coached by former Blazer Derrick Racine.
VSU won two matches on Friday to make the finals, beating Delta State 5-1 and Ouachita Baptist 5-4. Versus Ouachita, VSU came back from a 2-1 deficit after singles and won two three-set matches, first by Philipp Laucht then by Andreas von Michaels (with a 7-3 third-set tiebreaker).
Christoph Schneider and Norman Weidle won two doubles matches, while Schneider and Peter Kreutzfeldt each won two singles matches during the weekend.
Both the Blazers and Lady Blazers (12-7) now await the decision of the NCAA tennis committee to see if and where they would participate in an NCAA regional.
Conference calls are set for today and Wednesday, with the regionals scheduld for May 2-4.
n The Valdosta State golf teams are also waiting on an NCAA committee’s picks for the South Regional set for May 5-7 in Florence, Ala. Those conference calls are set for Thursday and Friday.
n With the finishes by the tennis and golf teams at the Gulf South championships, Valdosta State moved from fourth to third in the all-sports standings with one sport (baseball) left.
Harding (46.5) saw much of its lead evaporate after West Florida’s back-to-back titles in golf and tennis. West Florida now has 45.5 points, with VSU third at 40 points and Ouachita Baptist fourth at 37.5 points.
Harding, West Florida and Valdosta State are battling for positions in the Gulf South Conference baseball tournament (May 3-6 in Millington, Tenn.). A tournament qualifier will receive at least 12 points in the all-sports standings.
n Valdosta State’s women moved from eighth to seventh after the tennis tournament (a third-place finish) with one sport (softball, May 3-4 in Meridian, Miss.) left.
Central Arkansas (59.5 points) leads North Alabama (53.5 points), and will probably hold on to the title because it should qualify as the West No. 4 team for the softball tournament while UNA won’t make Meridian.
Valdosta State has 46 points, behind Harding and West Florida (52 points), Alabama-Huntsville (50.5 points) and Arkansas Tech (48 points).
While VSU, West Florida and UAH will advance to Meridian, Harding does not play softball and Arkansas Tech is in its first softball season and isn’t playing a Gulf South schedule. A tournament team will receive at least eight points in the all-sports standings, which means VSU will leap past Harding and Tech in the final standings.
