It came down to the last few minutes, with the crowd on its feet, cheering for a Charger victory. Sophomore Kamryn Matthews, in the end, came out victorious for the women’s tennis team Sunday on the Mary Jane Delp Courts, winning her No. 6 singles match in a third tie-breaking set and pushing Hillsdale College ahead of Saginaw Valley State University, 5-4.
“I knew what I wanted to accomplish in that match,” Matthews said. “I was excited to put everything that I’ve been practicing into match play and come out successful.”
In the first match of its fall season, Hillsdale earned payback against SVSU. Last year, the Chargers went 0-3 against SVSU.
“It’s a great way to start out the year,” head coach Nikki Walbright said. “It was a little closer than I would have liked, but I think that was good for motivation for the girls. I’m really proud of them overall.”
The Chargers were scheduled to play Michigan Technological University on Saturday, as well, but the Huskies canceled.
Come Sunday, Matthews said the team felt unsure of how the day would go, having had only three official practices, since the tennis season moved to the spring with the Chargers’ move to the G-MAC. The Cardinals, meanwhile, had worked on the court together for several weeks already in preparation for their fall season in the GLIAC.
“For us to go out there and perform the way we did, it’s very promising for what else we’re going to do this season,” Matthews said.
Walbright said the win showed improvement, but she credited the win to the athletes’ fight and “different vibe,” as they drew positive energy from the start of a new year and the fans that came to watch.
The Chargers took the lead early, as sophomore Katie Bell and junior Corinne Prost went 8-1 at No. 1 doubles and junior Halle Hyman and freshman Hannah Cimpeanu went 8-5 at No. 2.
“Halle was a really great leader at doubles, and Hannah is a really strong player,” Walbright said. “She was level-headed, really positive, and she never gave up — that was fun to watch.”
In a hard-fought match, juniors Madeline Bissett and Julia Formentin lost at No. 3, 9-7.
The momentum continued into the singles matches, as Bell at No. 2 beat her opponent 6-3, 6-5. At No. 3 singles, Cimpeanu defeated SVSU sophomore Madeline Miller, after tying 6-6 in their first set with Cimpeanu winning 7-4 in a tie-breaker. She won her second set 6-3.
“I was a little nervous at first, but the team and the coach made it really easy for me…to fit in and feel like a true Charger,” Cimpeanu said. “Winning was a big relief. I wanted to do well for the team, and starting off with a big win helps your confidence and allows you to relax a little bit.”
Hyman at No. 1 singles, Prost at No. 4, and Bissett at No. 5, however, fell to the Cardinals. Matthews finished her match last, unknowingly playing for the match point, she said.
“My whole team was standing on the court next to me and was with me every second of the way,” Matthews said. “Knowing I wasn’t just playing for myself but all of them really pushed me through it.”
Walbright said the match helped identify areas of improvement for the team, including point and doubles play.
“I think it opened their eyes up to how hard we need to work and that we can definitely get better and increase our intensity a little,” she said.
The team will compete next at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association regionals tournament in Midland, Michigan, from Sept 22-24. There, the Chargers will compete against athletes from the GLIAC and the Great Lake Valley Conference, as well as get their first look at teams from the G-MAC.
Until then, Hillsdale will work on match play to prepare to hit the competition courts once again.
“We were successful this weekend, but not everything came out exactly how we would have liked,” Matthews said. “We’re excited to just get out on the court again, get back in the groove, and get those kinks out.”