WHEELING, W.Va. – The West Liberty University women's tennis team notched its 10th win of the season in impressive fashion here Saturday, pulling out a 4-3 victory against NCAA Division I St. Francis (Pa.) inside the "Bubble" at Wheeling Park.

    Coach Heather Gallagher's Hilltoppers (10-3) and the Red Flash (9-10) got the match off to a fast start with a pitched battle for what turned out to be the all-important doubles point.

    West Liberty gained an early edge when the No. 2 doubles tandem of Evelina Martirosyan and Ishika Agarwal breezed to a 6-0 shutout win but the other two doubles matches each went to tiebreakers.

    St. Francis got the equalizer with a 7-4 tiebreaker nod at No. 1 singles but it was the Hilltoppers who came away with the doubles point as the No. 3 doubles team of Nathalia Valencia and Jacqueline Pena-Aceves eked out a clutch 9-7 win in their tiebreaker.

    That gave WLU a 1-0 lead heading into singles play and the Black and Gold made the most of it.

    Martirosyan picked up an easy win at No. 2 singles. The Hilltopper standout had jumped out to a quick 3-1 lead in the opening set when her opponent could not continue and was forced to retire.

    Valencia made quick work of her opponent at No. 4 singles with a 6-1 6-4 straight-set win and Agarwal did the same at No. 6 singles, sweeping her opponent by scores of 6-3 and 6-1.

    The West Liberty women return to Mountain East Conference play on Wednesday when they host West Virginia State in a 1 p.m. match at the Washington Park courts in Washington, Pa.