Men's Tennis | 3/11/2014 11:37:00 AM

    HILTON HEAD, S.C. – The West Liberty University men's tennis team got its spring break stay in Hilton Head off to a good start on Monday by pulling out a 5-4 decision against Assumption (Mass.).
    In a switch, the teams opted to start with the six singles matches before wrapping up with doubles play.
    Zach Kirkwood helped Coach Sam McCullough's Hilltoppers earn a split in the singles matches with a come-from-behind win at No. 6 singles. Kirkwood rebounded from a 6-3 loss in the first set of his match against Matt Drolet to win the second set, 6-3, before pulling out a 14-12 nod in the third set tiebreaker to send the teams into doubles action tied at 3-3.
    West Liberty also picked up singles wins from Andrew Ponder at No. 1 and Brandon Galici at No. 4.
    Galici and Alex Hayden wasted little time wrapping up an 8-0 victory at No. 3 doubles but Assumption won the No. 2 doubles match, leaving the decision riding on the outcome at No. 1 doubles. Ponder and his partner, Pablo Cimorra, came through with an 8-5 win to clinch the match.
    The Hilltoppers were scheduled to play St. Joseph's (N.Y.) on Tuesday.
 
MEN'S TENNIS
West Liberty 5, Assumption 4
Singles
Andrew Ponder (WLU) d. Chris Waung, 7-5 6-0
Viljami Rahnasto (AC) d. Alex Hayden, 6-4 6-1
Marco Leung (AC) d. Pablo Cimorra, 6-2 6-2
Brandon Galici (WLU) d. Mike Breen, 6-2 6-0
Matt Suprenant (AC) d. Nick Conforti, 6-4 4-6 10-7
Zach Kirkwood (WLU) d. Matt Drolet, 3-6 6-3 14-12
Doubles
Ponder/Cimorra (WLU) d. Waung/Rahnasto, 8-5
Leung-Drolet (AC) d. Conforti/Kirkwood, 8-5
Galici/Hayden (WLU) d. Breen/Knight, 8-0