ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – For the first time since 2011, the Valdosta State men’s tennis team can call themselves national champions after a 4-3 victory over Flagler College in the NCAA Division II finals.

The Blazers raced out to a 3-1 lead versus top-seeded Flagler, but senior Christian Wedel put together a third set for the ages after Flagler came back to tie. Wedel won five of the final six games for a 6-3 final set victory to seal the championship.

VSU finished a magical season with a 26-3 record as it won national championships in I men’s tennis in 2006 and 2011 prior to Saturday. The Blazers improved to 3-3 all-time in the national title match with the win, while they ended the 2023-24 season winning their last 16 matches. The Blazers were on sort of a redemption tour this season, losing last year in the national semifinals to eventual national champion Barry.

Flagler finished the season with a 22-3 record. Saturday marked the first time the Saints had competed in a national championship title event in any sport since becoming NCAA Division II.

In the third set at No. 6, Aly El Rafie won the opening game over Wedel and jumped out to a 2-1 lead through three games. Wedel won the opening set 6-3, while El Rafie won the second 6-4.

Wedel then rallied for a 3-2 lead in the third set, but El Rafie broke right back for a 3-3 score. From there, Wedel found another gear, feeding off a large contingent of Blazer fans and won the next three games for the championship.

The win gave VSU its ninth NCAA Division II National Championship in school history and the first since 2018 when the football team won its fourth title. The Blazer baseball team won in 1979, while football won in 2004, 2007, 2018 and 2018. Along with the men’s tennis titles, softball won in 2012.

With razor-sharp focus, the Blazers came out and took command of the doubles matches as No. 42-ranked tandem of sophomore Jan Skerbatis and junior Boruch Skierkier won 6-2 at the third position over Makary Adamek and Jacopo Denitto. Moments later, VSU’s No. 2 duo of juniors Takeshi Taco and Xaveam Van Wijk upset No. 29 duo of Ilian Borlee and Baptiste Mercier 6-2 for the team point.

Blazer top duo of seniors Rodrigo Carvalho and Luca Mack, ranked sixth nationally, held a 5-3 lead over No. 37-ranked Philipp Lemken and Simon Malis. VSU ran its streak of consecutive doubles points won to nine-straight.

VSU also won the doubles point in the match on Feb. 16, 2024, as Flagler came back in singles winning four of the six matches for a 4-3 victory indoors at the ITA Indoor National Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Taco, ranked seventh nationally, made quick work of Simon Malis, 6-0, 6-4 for a 2-0 lead for the Blazers. Flagler got on the board with a 6-1, 6-3 win from Lemken over freshman Jerome Iaconi at the fifth singes position.

Skierkier, the hero of the semifinal win on Friday and ranked 23rd nationally, battled back from a 3-0 deficit in the second set for a 6-3 win after opening his match at No. 2 singles with a 6-2 win versus No. 10-ranked Mercier. The win gave VSU a 3-1 lead.

With three matches remaining, Flagler earned wins at Nos. 1 and 4 to level the match at 3-3. Denitto, ranked 19th, downed No. 26 Mack, 7-5, 6-4, while Carvalho fell 3-6, 6-4, 1-6 to Borlee at No. 4 singles.

At No. 6, Aly El Rafie won the opening game over senior Christian Wedel and held 2-1 lead through three games. Wedel rallied for a 3-2 lead, but El Rafie broke right back for a 3-3 score. From there, Wedel switched to another gear and won the next three games for the championship.