Florida State University Athletics
Newcomer Spotlight: Azariah Rusher
10/11/2023 12:10:00 PM | Men's Tennis
TALLAHASSEE — Incoming freshman Azariah Rusher is poised for a superb debut in his first collegiate tennis season.
"Azariah has been doing a great job," head coach Dwayne Hultquist said. "He has a very good all-around game, and I love the intensity he brings every single match."
In the ITA National Summer Championships, Rusher's first ever-collegiate event, Rusher teamed up with fellow freshman Justin Lyons in doubles. The pair upset the No. 3 seed in the quarterfinals en route to a semifinal appearance. Rusher earned a 7-5, 7-5 win and a 6-2, 6-3 win in singles play, helping him to advance to the semifinals.
In the Longhorn Invitational, which featured four teams that all finished in the top-15 of the final ITA rankings, Rusher opened with a three-set, come-from-behind 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory over Georgia's Parker Jacques. Rusher also defeated USC's Andrei Volgin in straight sets 6-4, 6-3.
The pair of Jamie Connel and Rusher got results against USC's Karl Lee and Volgin with an 8-7 (4) win and notched another victory in a match against Georgia's Parker Jacques and Cyrus Mahjoob 8-7 (3).
The freshman compiled two wins this past weekend at ITA All-American Championships, defeating Francisco Lamas from East Tennessee State 7-5, 6-2. Rusher's second win of the tournament came in a 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-3 three-set victory over MTSU's Javier Cueto Ramos.
"Rusher has been very open to coaching and showing growth," Hultquist said. "He really has been dialed in and focused, which has translated to results on the court as he leads the team in wins this fall."
Rusher, a Florida product from Del Ray Beach, is Florida State's first blue-chip signee since 2017 and was ranked in the top-12 prospects nationally.
For more information on the Florida State men's tennis program, check Seminoles.com and follow us on social media at FSUMTennis (IG) and @FSU_MTennis (X).
