For the second time this season, the Tusculum College Women's tennis team has defeated a nationally-ranked opponent as the Pioneers beat 50th-ranked West Liberty State by a 6-3 score Monday afternoon in the opening match of the team's spring break trip.

The Pioneers (9-1) won their sixth straight match by winning the final four singles flights against the Hilltoppers (9-2), who were ranked fourth in the latest ITA Atlantic Region poll. It is the second straight year that Tusculum has defeated a nationally-ranked West Liberty squad at Hilton Head, and the third straight year that the Pioneers have beaten a ranked opponent during spring break. Tusculum's other win against a ranked foe was an 8-1 victory against NAIA 19th-ranked Milligan on Feb. 25 in Greeneville.

Tusculum jumped to a 2-1 lead in doubles play as Erin Mills and Adrienne Kaye improved to 7-0 as a team with an 8-0 whitewash of Raquel Cabero and Alex Barr at flight two, while at flight three Amanda Sumner and Emily Waters boosted their record to 9-0 with an 8-1 victory over Emily Dawson and Andrea Puga. West Liberty claimed its point at flight one behind an 8-4 victory by Lauren Howard and Raissa Wischi.

Howard and Wischi were also victorious at the top two singles flights for the Hilltoppers, but the Pioneers' depth proved too much once again. Kate Hutchinson defeated Cabero 6-3, 6-4 at flight three and Kealee Heffner bested Dawson 6-0, 6-1 at flight four to start the rally for Tusculum, while Kaye stayed perfect at 10-0 with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Puga at flight five and Sumner beat Barr 6-3, 6-1 at flight six.

Tusculum will seek its seventh straight win on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. against Shepherd.