TALLAHASSEE – Florida State men’s tennis has added Justin Lyons and Azariah Rusher, both from the state of Florida, to its program as part of the 2023 signing class, head coach Dwayne Hultquist announced Thursday.
Lyons is a five-star recruit who is ranked No. 30 nationally and No. 10 in the Southeast region. The Pensacola, Florida, native has a 12.1 Universal Tennis Rating, bolstered by multiple victories over blue-chip prospects. He is the two-time Pensacola News Journal Boys Player of the Year, earning the award for the second straight year after completing his 2022 season with a 22-1 record in singles play. He helped lead Pensacola Catholic to the 1A district title with victories at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles in the district championship match.
Rusher is a blue-chip prospect ranked as high as No. 12 nationally and is FSU’s first blue-chip signee since 2017. He currently holds a Universal Tennis Rating of 12.6 after claiming numerous victories over opponents with professional rankings and three Battle Boca event wins. Rusher, who comes to Tallahassee from Delray Beach, Florida, previously lived in New England and was rated as the No. 1 prospect in New Hampshire.
“I’m very excited to announce Justin and Azariah signing with us,” Hultquist said. “The state of Florida produces very strong tennis players, and it’s important to us that we continue to recruit our home state well. Justin has displayed consistent improvement since we started watching him, and he will continue to get better as he gets older. He has a big, powerful game, and we love his dedication and commitment. Azariah has an all-court game. He brings toughness with a high tennis IQ and is a mental warrior on the court.”
The 2022-23 Seminoles have completed their fall schedule and will return to competition in January.
For more information on the Seminole Men’s Tennis program, check Seminoles.com and follow us on social media at FSUMTennis (IG) and @FSU_MTennis (TW).