WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. — The West Liberty University men's tennis team heads south this week for its annual spring break trip, where the Hilltoppers will compete in four matches in Hilton Head Island.

West Liberty enters the trip with a 1-1 record during the spring portion of the schedule after splitting a pair of matches in February. The Hilltoppers opened the season with a 5-2 victory over Penn State Behrend in Erie before falling 5-2 on the road against Daemen University the following day.

West Liberty showed strong depth in its season-opening win over Penn State Behrend, claiming the doubles point and four of the six singles matches. The doubles teams of Ignacio Giurfa and Ethan Shepard at No. 2 and Chris Burns and Pablo Zubieta at No. 3 each earned 6-2 victories to give the Hilltoppers the early advantage.

In singles play, Pablo Zubieta led the way with a 6-4, 6-1 victory at No. 1 singles, while Ignacio Giurfa delivered a dominant performance at No. 2 with a 7-6, 6-0 win. Ethan Shepard also picked up a straight-set victory at No. 3 singles, 6-4, 6-0, and Barney Cowan closed out the match with an impressive 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 4 singles.

The Hilltoppers continued to show resilience the following day against Daemen. The doubles team of Zubieta and Burns captured the lone doubles win with a 6-4 victory at No. 3, while West Liberty picked up two singles wins in a competitive match. Chris Burns earned a 7-6, 6-1 win at No. 5 singles, and Aidan Lucas battled through a three-set match to claim a 3-6, 6-3, 10-8 victory at No. 6 singles.

The Hilltoppers open the trip on Saturday (March 7) against Hardin-Simmons University at 2 p.m. West Liberty returns to the courts on Sunday (March 8) for an 8:30 a.m. matchup with Gordon College.

Following a brief break in competition, the Hilltoppers resume play on Wednesday (March 11) against Lawrence Technological University at 9 a.m., before wrapping up the trip on Thursday (March 12) with another 9 a.m. match against Georgetown College.

West Liberty University blends a small-town environment with a comprehensive college experience, fostering students' aspirations through hands-on learning, personalized support, and unique academic programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Learn more at westliberty.edu.