Women’s tennis faces tough competition over spring break, tops Broward College

Home Charger Tennis Women’s tennis faces tough competition over spring break, tops Broward College
Women’s tennis faces tough competition over spring break, tops Broward College

For the first time, women’s tennis defeated Broward College in Fort Lauderdale on its Florida spring break trip last week.

After two days of facing top Division II competition, the Chargers fought through exhaustion on March 7 to defeat Broward, which the Intercollegiate Tennis Association ranks as No. 10 in the National Junior College Athletic Association, 6-3.

“It was awesome, because we had never beaten that team before,” coach Nikki Walbright said. “It’s hard to feel good after two days of matches, being really tired, so it felt really good to have them win as a team.”

Hillsdale College also faced NCAA-ranked No. 1 Lynn University in Boca Raton on March 5 and No. 3 Keiser University in Fort Lauderdale on March 6, losing 9-0 and 8-1 respectively. The competitions put G-MAC-ranked No. 1 Hillsdale’s record at 3-4 before conference matches begin.

“Although we lost, they were better, and we played some great points,” Walbright said. “Playing against a technically higher team elevates your game. Their experience showed on the court, but I think it improved our confidence, playing with some of the best teams in the country.”

Trading 30-degree weather for that in the mid-70s, the team had to adjust quickly to playing outdoors again and in the heat.

Every other year women’s tennis travels to Florida to play, for the past two times, the team has lost to Broward. This year, though, the team leveraged its teamwork and depth to sweep its doubles matches.

“I think starting with three wins in doubles sets the right tone,” Walbright said. “After facing some tough competition, they were geared up to get a win.”

At No. 1 doubles, sophomore Katie Bell and junior Corinne Prost teamed for a 8-3 win. The G-MAC Player of the Week recipients duo, freshman Hannah Cimpeanu and junior Halle Hyman, won 9-7 at No. 2 in the closest match of the day. Junior Madeline Bissett and sophomore Kamryn Matthews finished a strong week with an 8-5 win.

Hillsdale also won three singles matches: Prost won 6-2, 6-4 at No. 2; Bissett, 6-4, 6-2 at No. 5; and junior Julia Formentin, 6-3, 6-1 at No. 6.

“Coming off of our two losses, I still maintained a positive mental edge and was determined to play my best for the last day,” Formentin said. “It was intimidating to be playing a top ranked team for the third day in a row, but rather than being scared by this, I used it to pump myself up.”

On March 5, Hillsdale faced the top Division II women’s tennis team in the country. Although the Chargers were unable to lock in any match points, the women held strong against some of the nation’s top players.

“Every spot definitely struggled,” Walbright said. “Their team was really strong. There was no way around that.”

All doubles pairs earned one game point, but Bissett and Matthews held their own at No. 3 doubles, falling 8-3 to Lynn.

In singles, Prost managed 6-1, 6-2 at No. 5 against sophomore Eliska Petrackova. Cimpeanu at No. 2 faced No. 15 nationally ranked freshman Natalie Kallmunzerov, but was unable to earn a game point.

The following day, the Chargers faced Keiser, which sits two spots behind Lynn nationally. The team’s single victory came from Bissett and Matthews at No. 3 doubles, winning a tough 9-7 match.

“They have been working really hard this season so far and meshing really well,” Walbright said. “They adapted well in that match, seeing a lot of shots they’re not used to be seeing, but they brought their game and energy, and it allowed them to come out on top.”

Bell and Prost managed a game point against No. 1 doubles team senior Megane Bianco and freshman Daniela Farfan, finishing 8-1.

Bell, Prost, Matthews, and Bissett faced players ranked in the top 30 nationally in No. 1-4 singles. Bissett shone especially, facing No. 17 ranked Julianna Heino, a senior, and ending her sets 6-4, 6-1.

Formentin said facing these difficult teams was challenging but also rewarding.

“We all learned a lot from these high level teams, including new shots and point patterns to implement into our own games and new mental strategies,” she said.

She added that off the court, the trip also allowed her and her teammates to bond by relaxing on the beach, enjoying the hotel’s pool, and going shopping.

Walbright said the team learned a lot from playing the tough matches and seeing different game styles with more technical experience.

“We were a little bit flat instead of playing our own game and keeping up our energy,” Walbright said. “We want to keep confident and energetic and not let another team set the tone before we can.”

On Saturday, Hillsdale makes its spring home debut against former GLIAC rival Ashland University (8-11, 3-7). In fall 2016, Hillsdale defeated Ashland 8-1.

Walbright said she hopes the team will carry the confidence earned from getting some points off Division II’s top competition into the rest of the season.

“We can hang with them,” Walbright said. “We have a lot to work on, but we can improve and be just as good as them.”