LAKELAND, Fla. – The No. 10 Florida Southern College men's tennis team is set to compete in the Sunshine State Conference championship, facing the No. 24/5-seed Lynn University in the quarterfinals as the 4-seed. The match is scheduled on April 30, at 1:00 p.m. at the Perper Tennis Complex, hosted by Lynn.
SSC Quarterfinal
Opponent: No. 24 / five-seed Lynn University
Location: Boca Raton, Fla. | Perper Tennis Complex
Date: Thursday, April 30, 2026 | 1:00 p.m.
Tournament Page:
https://sunshinestateconference.com/tournaments/?id=265
The Moccasins return to the SSC tournament for the fifth year in a row, ranked No. 10 in the latest ITA rankings. FSC also came in No. 6 in the NCAA regional rankings, hoping for a strong showing in the conference tournament to seal a bid to the NCAA tournament.
"We are excited about the SSC tournament, but also know it's going to be a battle from the beginning," said head coach
Rhett Rollyson. "Lynn is a tough team and playing their best tennis now, and playing them at home makes it more of a challenge. Having 17 wins in the regular season is amazing with our tough schedule, but we are all 0-0 right now. We will be ready!"
No. 10/Fourth-Seed Florida Southern Moccasins
The Moccasins had a stellar regular season with a 17-5 record, the most wins during the regular season since 2007. Their challenging schedule included several top 25 matchups, including a noteworthy win over the defending national champion Valdosta State University Blazers. FSC went 7-5 against ranked opponents in team dual scores, highlighted by a strong lineup in 2026.
Mario Garoz, ranked No. 9 in singles according to the latest ITA poll, set a new program record for singles wins in a career earlier this year and continues to shine at the #1 court. Garoz is 17-3 overall, with all but one match at the #1 singles court. He joins
Mario Antonio Morales as ranked Moccasins, with Antonio Morales No. 65 at a 14-4 record. Other strong singles players in the lineup include
Bosko Boskovic, Marco Cinotti, Onur Turgut, and
Matthew Hewitt, with 8+ wins this season.
In doubles,
George Russell and Turgut are 14-7 overall at the #1 court with a No. 17 ITA ranking together. Garoz and
Edoardo Melindo are also ranked as a pairing, currently No. 44, going 15-2 at the #3 court. Boskovic and
Gabriel Jornert handle the #2 court, with a steady 14-7 record.
Series Matchup
Since 1996, both teams have faced each other 45 times, most recently on Feb. 14, when the Mocs won 6-1 in Lakeland. Overall, the Mocs are 12-33 against the Fighting Knights, having won the last three matches. Both teams faced each other in the 2025 SSC quarterfinal, with FSC winning 4-2 to advance to the semifinal. Among all conference postseason action against Lynn, FSC has a 1-3 record in the tournament dating back to 1996.
Tournament History
Florida Southern has a 23-32 overall record in the SSC tournament dating back to 1996, with 29 appearances. Returning for the fifth year in a row, the Mocs had an incredible run in the tournament last season, making the championship final after wins over Lynn and Saint Leo. FSC lost the championship to Barry, who won its 20
th tournament title. The match was the first time since 2002 that the Mocs made the title game in their program history.
Other Matches in SSC
The opening round features two matchups between top-10 programs. No. 4 seed Florida Southern College faces No. 5 seed Lynn. In the other first-round match, No. 3 Rollins takes on No. 6 Embry-Riddle. The winner of the 4/5 match will face Barry University, and the winner of the 3/6 match will face Saint Leo, both on May 1.
NCAA Postseason
The tournament champion will earn an automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Division II Men's Tennis Championship. Regional competition will be held May 11-12 at non-predetermined sites, with the finals scheduled for May 20-24 at the Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex in Surprise. The championships will be hosted by the Pacific West Conference and the City of Surprise, with selections announced May 4.
