The Hillsdale College men's tennis team got its annual spring break trip off to a strong start on Monday morning, rolling past West Virginia State 6-1 in the first of three matches in the PTR Spring Tennis Fest on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

The Chargers started the match with a dominant display in doubles. Led by top pairing Sean Barstow and Aidan Pack, Hillsdale took all three flights to secure the doubles point and 1-0 lead in the match. Barstow and Pack combined for a 6-3 win at No. 1 doubles, while Hillsdale's No. 2 doubles team of Tyler Conrad and Ellis Klanduch rolled to a 6-1 victory, and the Chargers' No. 3 doubles team of Daniel Gilbert and Henry Hammond took a 6-2 win as well.

In singles play, the Chargers won five of six matches to easily take the victory over the Yellow Jackets. Pack led the way with an impressive 6-2, 6-2 victory over WVSU's Heinrich Lindeque at No. 1 singles, while Conrad swept past the Yellow Jackets' Axel Dormann without dropping a single game, 6-0, 6-0, at No. 3 singles.

Barstow continued a recent hot streak at No. 4 singles with a 6-0, 7-5 victory over Franco Farias of WVSU, Hammond pulled out a 6-4, 6-3 victory over the Yellow Jackets' Fracundo, Campana Urcia at No. 5 singles, and Daniel Gilbert dominated WVSU's Elias Valencia 6-0, 6-1 for a win at No. 6 singles.

Hillsdale improves to 4-5 with the victory, and will play again tomorrow against Quincy at 4 p.m. EST on Hilton Head Island, before wrapping up the trip with a Wednesday match against Division I University of St. Louis.

Photo by Anthony Lupi