WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. - The West Liberty University men's tennis team is set to return to action for its 17-match spring slate this weekend at Ashland University.

The Hilltoppers competed at a pair of doubles events, the ITA Atlantic Regional Championships, and in a match at Washington & Jefferson in the fall. They won the lone match, 7-2, with the only losses coming by default from the shorthanded WLU squad.

Gianluca Gerndt leads the Hilltoppers ranking 17th in the Atlantic Region and holds down the #1 singles spot. Gerndt won his first two matches at the ITA Atlantic Regional Championships in September before bowing out in the round of 16. Overall on the fall season, he posted a 3-2 individual record.

Derek Roehner and Alfonso Zerpa charted a 7-2 record, while Gerndt and Nevio Dux went 7-3 in the fall in doubles to lead the Black and Gold. Both duos went 4-2 at the Ashland Doubles Invite and secured a spot in the Bloomsburg tournament finals. Roehner and Zerpa won the event, while Gerndt and Dux's bracket did not beat the weather before storms canceled the tournament. Gerdnt and Dux also competed in the ITA Atlantic Regionals.

West Liberty will play 15 of their 17 matches away from home this spring, with the two home contests scheduled for February 18 and April 1 inside the Wheeling Park Bubble. A five-match spring break trip highlights the schedule down to Orlando, Fla. over the week of March 3-9.

The Hilltoppers will battle all spring to secure back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Regionals after making it to the regional finals a year ago. 

Follow Hilltopper Men's Tennis online at HilltopperSports.com, as well as on Twitter (@WLU_MTennis | @WLathletics), Instagram, and Facebook.