CLEVELAND, Miss. – The Delta State men's and women's tennis teams will travel to Pensacola, Fla., for their toughest Gulf South Conference road trip of the season as they square off against defending GSC champions the University of West Florida on Friday, April 6, and Valdosta State University on April 7. The Lady Statesmen will also play a GSC match against the University of West Georgia at 3 p.m. on April 6, in Pensacola, Fla.  
 
"This weekend will be a big Gulf South Conference weekend for us," said Jeffrey Farris, head coach for the Delta State men's and women's tennis teams. "We face the two strongest opponents in our conference. With that said, we need to stay focused and take this weekend one match at a time."
 
DSU VS. UWF MATCH NOTES:

• The Statesmen enter Friday's match looking to snap a two-match losing streak after suffering back-to-back GSC losses to AUM and Montevallo earlier this season.
• The No. 6 University of West Florida Argonauts were the 2017 men's national champions and GSC champions, and have worked hard to defend their titles. The Argos are currently 17-2 and top of the men's GSC standings with a perfect 7-0 GSC record.
• Ranked No. 2 in the nation, West Florida's women's team has suffered only one loss this season. The Argos are the defending GSC women's tennis champions and are 9-0 in GSC action this season.
• The Lady Statesmen seek to snap an eight-match losing streak.
• Last season, West Florida defeated the Statesmen 8-1.
• Mason Vice and Joao Yamacita earned Delta State's lone match point against the Argos last season with an 8-6 victory at No. 3 doubles. Vice and Yamacita boast a team-best 8-3 record in doubles this season.
• West Florida eliminated the Lady Statesmen from the 2017 GSC Women's Tennis Championship with a 5-0 win in the first round of the tournament. The Argos also defeated the Lady Statesmen 6-0 in regular season action last year.

 
DSU VS. UWG MATCH NOTES

• The Lady Statesmen will take on the University of West Georgia's women's tennis team at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, April 6, in Pensacola, Fla.
• The Wolves have yet to earn a conference win this season and are in last place in GSC women's standings with a 1-9 record overall.
• UWG's sole win was against Fort Valley State.
• In their last meeting, the Lady Statesmen defeated West Georgia, 6-3, in Carrollton, Ga. Senior Charlotte Le Flohic and junior Nathalia Sato both earned wins against the Wolves last season.

 
DSU VS. VSU MATCH NOTES:

• Delta State will face the Valdosta State Blazers on Saturday, April 7, at 9 a.m.
• The No. 9 Blazers are sitting in second in GSC standings with only one conference loss.
• The Blazers are riding a two-match winning streak after defeating GSC rivals Mississippi College and West Alabama.
• The Lady Blazers are sitting just one spot ahead of the Lady Statesmen in GSC standings in ninth place.
• The Lady Blazers are 2-11 overall and 2-6 in the GSC.
• While Valdosta State currently has .154 winning percentage, the Lady Statesmen have not defeated Valdosta State since 2011, when DSU defeated the Blazers 5-2 in the first round of the 2011 GSC Women's Tennis Championship.
• Last season, the Lady Blazers defeated the Lady Statesmen 9-0.
• The Blazers eliminated the Statesmen in the first round of the 2017 GSC Men's Tennis Tournament and also defeated the Statesmen 7-2 during regular season competition. Vice was the only Statesman to earn a win in singles. Vice and Yamacita also earned a victory at No. 3 doubles to account for the Statesmen's second match point.

 
ALLEZ LE TERRIER:

• Freshman Emile Le Terrier has dominated the competition at the No. 1 spot for the Statesmen.
• A native of Paris, France, Le Terrier is ranked No. 29 nationally in the Oracle/ITA Division II National Singles Rankings. He is the first Statesman since 2008 to earn a national ranking. Pascal LaPlace was the last Statesman to earn an ITA national ranking, finishing the 2008-09 season ranked No. 46 in DII.

 
NOTABLES:

• The Statesmen are 5-2 against GSC competition this season and are currently fourth in GSC standings.
• Delta State's five GSC wins mark the most conference victories in a season since 2014 when the Statesmen finished 5-3 in GSC play.
• The Statesmen enter the weekend ranked No. 10 in the South Region in the first NCAA DII Region Rankings.
• Junior Ione' Deroode leads the Lady Statesmen in singles competition with a team-best 4-2 record.
• Le Flohic is four wins away from tying her career-high in singles victories.

 
UP NEXT:
The Statesmen and Lady Statesmen return home for a GSC match against the University of West Alabama on April 11 at 1:30 p.m. Prior to the start of the match, Delta State will honor the senior members of its squad during Senior Day festivities.