VSU tennis ready to serve up 2013 season

The sun is shining, flowers are blooming, birds are singing: this can only mean one thing right?

It’s time to serve up another season of VSU tennis.

Head Coach John Hansen, in his 39^th season at the helm, believes it’s too early for him to be confident about the men and women’s squads in 2013 however at the same time he is not unconfident.

“I think we’re going to be a little better than last year mainly because some of our freshman from last year have more experience,” Hansen said of both teams. “Do we have a run at the national championship? I don’t know but I think we’re going to scare some people.”

The Blazers will certainly get a chance to do that facing six of the best teams in the nation early on in the season.

These teams include biggest non-conference rival Barry, Lynn, Armstrong Atlantic and this season’s Gulf South Conference favorite picked to win not only the conference but the national championship as well, West Florida.

UWF defeated the Blazers, 5-1, and the Lady Blazers, 5-2, to claim their second straight GSC Championship victory for both tennis teams last year.

The men and women squads will look to improve after both finished with an unsatisfying 10-10 record last season.

The men already start the year off at disadvantage due to Santiago Vidales and Niklas Herbring out indefinitely with injuries.

This hinders VSU immensely considering both players were in the top six last year; Vidales hasn’t been ruled out for the entire season.  

Herbring was named 2012 GSC Freshman of the Year.

The remaining six players must step up in their absence and stay healthy.

Another injured player could be costly for the Blazers.

 Lone senior Konstantin Kutschenko is expected to lead the team on and off the court.

 “Without any problem, he has come in and just taking over,” Hansen said. “He realizes that everyone is looking up to him.  I think he has an excellent chance in being one of the top players in the country this year. He’s already shown that and I think with his help we’re really putting something together.”

Kutschenko, the only remaining active member of the 2011 national championship team, last year beat Eudaldo Bonet (1-6, 6-3, 10-3) the No.3 player in the nation at the time. 

With 2012 ITA Senior Player of the Year Christian Hansen graduated, the pressure on Kutschenko to carry the load is at an all-time high but the challenge doesn’t seem to faze him.

“I’m trying to be there for everyone,” Kutschenko, also a graduate assistant, said. “I kind of feel like I should be the leader on the team; I’m just excited we have a couple new players again. I’m ready to start the season to see where we stand. I look forward to it; this will be my last season.”

The women’s team head into the season with just six players total.

On the bright side, Hansen says some of the best teams in years past have been with only the starting six.

 “It also puts that much pressure on us so we have to say fit, stay healthy,” Jessica Tuggle, third-year player said. “I think we have a really good team. As long we keep our heads focused on every single match and not worrying about the post-season now.”

Hansen believes if the injury bug can stay away his teams have the potential to be as talented as the 2011 championship squad that was honored in Wednesday’s parade.

“We get compared to them every day,” Hansen laughingly said.  “We’ll find out.”

The men begin their season Friday 3 p.m. at home against USC-Aiken and the women’s team first match is Wednesday against Georgia College.

VSU continues home stand hosting Union Thurday night

After splitting last Saturday’s games against Delta State, Valdosta State is gearing up for its third game of the home stand against Union University Thursday night.

This is the first ever meeting between UU and VSU.

Since the home stand began last Thursday the Lady Blazers have dropped two-games in a row, while the men’s team is trying to get their third straight win.

Thursday games mark the start of the second half of the Gulf South Conference schedule.  

The Lady Bulldogs (12-5) (7-2) come into the P.E. Complex after beating West Georgia 65-61 this past weekend.

UU could bring trouble to the Blazer squad whom Coach Kiley Hill has labeled “inconsistent” as of late.

Statistics wise, UU is a much better perimeter shooting squad than VSU.

The Lady Blazers this season are shooting .277% from behind the arc compared to the Lady Bulldogs .347.

VSU will look to cool off UU; the Lady Bulldogs are currently on a two-game winning streak.

With UU forward Shelby Ashcraft still tending to an injury, expect freshman center Carly Daniels to try to make an impact in this contest.

 Daniels off the bench had a team-high 19 points in the win over UWG.

Though UU is No.1 in the GSC standings, they and Shorter are not eligible for post-season play.

Both teams are new to the GSC therefore they aren’t eligible yet.

The schools game results do count toward league standing however.

VSU’s men’s team (all in first season as Blazers except for Josh Sparks) may be getting the hang off GSC teams now after dropping five games early to conference squads prior to the home stand.

The last two wins coming against conference foes (DSU, Christian Bros.).

“I think that it just shows our team is growing, getting a little better in certain areas. We have to continue it; we have a long way to go but at least were making a little bit of strides,” Mike Helfner, men’s head coach said.

The Bulldogs are 0-7 in away games and will attempt to start a win streak of their own after a 79-55 rout over UWG.

The victory improved UU’s record to 4-13 on the year.

UU is led by its two seniors Anthony Freeman Jr. and Daniel Marti.

Freeman tallied 25 points; Marti contributed 11 points with eight rebounds in the win last Saturday.

VSU fans are encouraged to wear black as it will be “Blazer Black Out” night at the P.E. Complex.

As usual, the Lady Blazers play at 6 p.m. and the men will follow at 8 p.m.

The times will be the same when VSU hosts North Alabama Saturday.

Lady Blazers drop second straight

Valdosta, Ga. – The Lady Blazers (10-7) are on a two-game losing streak and move to 3-6 in Gulf South Conference play after falling 58-52 to rival Delta State (11-6) Saturday afternoon in the P.E. Complex.

 

Forcing a bevy of turnovers (19) was vital for the Lady Statesmen staying close behind all game before stealing the lead late in the game despite offensive endeavors.

 

The Lady Blazers missed the usual offensive presence of guard Kourtney Williams.

 

Williams coming into Saturday’s matchup averaged 13.3 points a game however she was held to just two points.

 

Early on, the home team kept DSU scoreless until Rhandi Ball made one of her two free throws seven minutes into the game.

 

The DSU offense somewhat picked up in the last minutes of the period keeping the score close.

 

VSU shot 41.6 % from the field compared to DSU’s 25% in the first half.  

 

Following a Brittney Nelson buzzer beater, the Lady Blazers took a 25-19 lead at halftime.

 

The Lady Statesmen resumed with a higher tempo in the next period.

 

DSU didn’t go down more than five points after the first minute of the second half.

 

VSU found their lead in the most danger all game when the score tied up at 30-30 after DSU guard Chelsey Rhodes converted a lay-up.

 

Following a much-needed VSU timeout, the Lady Blazers went on a 6-0 run.

 

The game tied up again when DSU responded with a 6-0 run themselves.

 

“We should have taken a six-point lead and turned it into a 16-point lead,” Coach Kiley Hill said.

 

After DSU’s Chadisty Hickman made her second three-pointer to take their first lead, Nelson on VSU’s ensuing possession retook the lead on a lay-up with six minutes left.

 

This was the last time the Lady Blazers were ahead the rest of the game.

 

A minute later, another made Rhodes lay-up put them up 41-40.

More than two minutes left on the clock, DSU’s Seneca Walton two pairs of made free throws increased their lead to 46-42.

 

VSU freshman guard Courtney Sprague’s three-pointer to cut the deficit to one point on the next play made the home crowd erupt and gave the Lady Blazers the most hope for a comeback.

 

Nevertheless, a few DSU free throws in the final seconds were enough to outlast VSU.

 

The Lady Blazers shot 24% to the Lady Statesman 37.5 % in the second half.

 

Coach Hill claims consistency is lacking from his squad, that prior to Thursday’s loss was 7-0 at home this season.

 

“With the group we have right now, we just haven’t had it,” Hill said.

“And to be able to play at a high level, you have to have conisistency. Once we figure that out, you never know how the chips may fall."

 

VSU will attempt to get their first win of the home stand Thursday against Union in the P.E. Complex.

Blazers Win Seventh Straight against Delta State

Valdosta, Ga. – Valdosta State (12-5) guard Patrick Diop’s team-high 20 points, four assists and four steals helped lift the Blazers to its seventh straight win over conference foe Delta State (7-10) Saturday afternoon in the P.E. Complex.

 

Though the Statesmen made a convincing 10-1 run in the final minutes led by DSU guard Cornell Knight, the

 

Blazers were able to hold off for their second straight victory.

 

The Blazers struggled to get into a groove offensively in the first half especially in the opening minutes.

 

Halfway through the first half the Blazers were shooting a low 18.8% from the field (3-16).

 

DSU’s Terry Leake made jumper three minutes into the game gave the Statesmen its first lead of the game; it was two minutes left in the first half before VSU regained the lead again.

 

“I think we showed great heart defensively,” Head Coach Mike Helfner said. “We didn’t let the offensive end affect our defense that was the key. I give our guys a tremendous amount of credit because three or four weeks ago I’m not sure we would have been that tough defensively through such a bad stretch of offensive basketball.”

 

VSU finished with seven turnovers compared to DSU’s 17.

 

Although the Blazers battled shooting woes, DSU couldn’t separate thanks to relentless defense played by VSU.

 

With more than four minutes left in the first half, the Statesmen were leading 17-13 before Diop struck fire single-handedly scoring the final 10 points.

 

It just took the last two minutes or so for Diop to convert three lay-ups (two on fast breaks), a three-pointer, and one free throw.

 

The Blazers went into halftime up 23-17.

 

 VSU maintained its lead for the rest of the game.

 

Leake Jr., who finished with a game-high 21 points, along with Jack Madgen (14 points total) kept the Statesman’s deficit from getting too large to overcome.

 

The Statesmen went down as much as 11(55-44) though following VSU guard Shaquille Harris’s three-pointer with two minutes to play before making one final turn around.

 

Murray broke an 8-0 run making one of his two free throws with 30 seconds left in regulation.

 

On the Statesmen ensuing possession, Sparks committed a senseless foul on Madgen as he shot a desperation three-pointer that even if made DSU would have still been trailing by one.

 

Madgen made two of his three free throws from the charity stripe to cap off the 10-1 run late.

 

This brought the score to 56-54 with 14 seconds left before the final buzzard.

 

Harris’s two pairs of made free throws afterwards iced the game putting it out of reach for DSU.  

 

“We about to start over with Union Thursday so we just have to keep it rolling now on our home court,” senior forward James Anacreon said. “We feed off the energy, we just got to kept it rolling.”

 VSU looks to improve to 4-6 in Gulf South Conference play Thursday against Union at the P.E. Complex.

 

Notes: Saturday’s games were nationally televised by CBS Sports Network.

Men’s game brought a season-best 2,814 attendees.

 

Reader Appreciation was acknowledged at halftime; a couple hundred local elementary school kids were recognized for their reading achievement.

 

Both coaching staff’s wore sneakers participating in the 10th Annual Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Weekend coordinated by the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).