WEST LIBERTY — The typical last week of the year for most college students is pretty much similar for everybody trying to navigate through a college degree program. It includes cramming for final exams, finishing last-minute projects and papers, looking for summer work, those last few social get-togethers and making arrangements for the quiet trip back home.

But for three West Virginia Wesleyan tennis players, finals week has come to include one other significant event—competing in the NCAA Tournament. And they are all quite used to dealing with the commotion.

They have never missed the postseason in their career.

Joel Izquierdo, Aitor Reparaz, and Nathan Savill will be taking the courts Sunday afternoon for their final time in an NCAA regional event when they face No. 6 seeded Mercyhurst University at the Edgar Martin Tennis Complex on the campus of West Liberty State.

The trio are a perfect 4-for-4 during their tennis careers in participating in the prestigious event, and collectively they have played in six NCAA matches during their time in a Bobcat uniform going into today.  They are 3-3 in those matches, including a trip to the 2013 Sweet 16 when they were sophomores.  All three have been in the lineup for every match along the way.

Two years later, they are trying to cement their legacy with another regional title and a return to the final 16.

"These guys are the staples for what this team has accomplished in the past four seasons," said coach Marc Walters, who will also be coaching in his ninth NCAA regional. "They have grown from freshmen who were led by older guys with experience, into grown men that can now lead by example."

And they have set an impressive example for those that will follow.

All three have been important cogs in Wesleyan's run over the past four seasons. Savill, an ITA Academic All-American, has set put together more than thirty wins at #3 doubles playing alongside partner Jacobo Rendon, and he has delivered clutch singles wins for the 'Cats throughout his career.

 Izquierdo, the reigning MEC Player of the Year, and Reparaz have both been named All-MEC multiple times and garnered rankings in both singles and doubles during their career. Both have played at virtually every singles position in the lineup for the Bobcats at one time or another, and they understand the roles they play in the success of the team.

But it is on the doubles court that they have had the greatest impact on the program. The dynamic duo reached a high of #8 nationally in the ITA Doubles rankings this past fall with a Regional ITA title, and they held a #1 ranking in the region for more than a year.

They are currently at #6 going into today's match, and they will face the #4 team of Nenad Terzic and Travis Beck in what will be another big match up, in yet another big team dual.

"There is no hiding that this tournament for us comes down how we play at #1 doubles'" noted Walters. "Aitor and Joel both recognize it's their time to lead, and they have never turned away from these type of matches. They live for the competition, and I'm confident they'll be ready to fire when the gun sounds."

Mercyhurst has had an up and down season, starting the year with a huge win over top-seeded West Liberty by a score of 7-2 in early February. The win propelled them past Wesleyan and into the #2 spot in the regional rankings. Since then, they have fallen off by virtue of three close conference losses, to drop down to 'bubble status' for NCAA tournament qualification.  But the Lakers won a big semifinal showdown with a hot Kutztown team in the PSAC tournament, and they will be riding high on that momentum according to Walters.

"The Kutztown match was a do-or-die, and the Mercyhurst team that showed up that day is the one that will be coming to the NCAAs," said Walters. "They know they have a great shot at a title, same as us, and that means the gloves will be off for both teams. It should be great tennis."

If there is a factor that gives the 'Cats an edge it is their senior leadership. Walters thinks that is key in matches of this magnitude.

"We have the experience," said Walters. "We have the 'old guys' now, the ones who have been there before, and who know how to get their level up in these situations. That is a big advantage and it is one that will be leaning on today and hopefully, for a few more weeks."

And for Izquierdo, Reparaz, and Savill, the distractions of finals week and their impending life after college tennis will just have to wait one more weekend. This kind of stress could easily impact a tennis player's ability to focus on the task at hand.

But, luckily for this edition of the Bobcat tennis program, it is nothing this group of seniors haven't dealt with many, many times before.

Photo left to right: Savill, Reparaz, Walters and Izquierdo