FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Fairfield University men's tennis team opened up its spring trip on a high note with a dominating performance in the 5-2 victory over Big East foe Villanova. With the win, the Stags improve to 3-1 on the year.

Sophomore Ryan Berthod (White Plains, N.Y.) snapped a five match losing streak with an outstanding effort at No. 1 singles as he earned the 6-3, 6-4 decision against Dimitri Chimerakis.

At No. 2 singles, freshman Rob Ferrante (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) battled it out with the Wildcats' Brett Tobin taking the match to a super tie-breaker. Ferrante forged the 7-6(8), 1-6, 10-6 victory to win his third-straight singles match.

Freshman George Laffey (Basking Ridge, N.J.) picked up a 6-3, 6-3 win against Brian Maher at No. 3 singles while junior Chip Palumbo (Winchester, Mass.) dominated at No. 6 singles, earning the 6-2, 6-1 win against John Drosick.

Senior Balazs Szikla (Budapest, Hungary), who is seeking his 100^th career win, fell to Trenton Alenik, 6-1, 6-1, at No. 4 singles. Classmate Glen Gannon (Chatham, N.J.) fell to David Shaheen, 6-3, 6-2, at No. 5 singles.

The Stags also picked up the doubles point, taking two out of three matches. The freshman tandem of Ferrante and Laffey outlasted Chimerakis and Maher, 8-5, at No. 1 doubles. At the third spot, Berthod and Gannon edged Alex Lesser and Shaheen, 8-6.

Fairfield is back in action tomorrow, March 3, against Florida Gulf Coast University at 10 a.m.