On Sunday, the Hillsdale College Chargers secured a shutout 7-0 victory against Davenport University in a strong start to the season.
The early conference favorite Chargers won each individual match in straight sets and both doubles matches. Davenport did not field players for no. 6 singles or no. 3 doubles.
Stepping into the no. 1 singles spot after playing at no. 2 last season, sophomore Hannah Cimpeanu won her match 6-1, 6-1 and joined freshman Sarah Hackman to take no. 1 doubles 6-3. From the start, Hackman has made her presence felt on the team, winning no. 2 singles 6-2, 6-1.
“I felt prepared for it pretty well,” Hackman said. “However, just making sure that we continue to start off doubles matches strong will definitely be key.”
Senior Halle Hyman came back from her shoulder injury strong, winning 6-2, 6-0 at no. 4 singles.
“She had a really great match coming back. So it was definitely — for her first match in almost a year — a dominant performance,” head coach Nikki Walbright said.
Junior Katie Bell won her no. 3 singles match 6-2, 6-2, and joined senior Corinne Prost at no. 2 doubles, winning 6-4.
“[Bell’s] strong groundstrokes and my volleys, as well as my serve with her poaches pair well together,” Prost said. “Both our game styles and personalities complement each other. We understand how the other ticks, which allows us to communicate better between points and off the court.”
In no. 5 singles, junior Kamryn Matthews had the one of the two bagel sets of the day, winning her match 6-0, 6-3. All the way through the lineup, the Chargers managed to stay on top of their opponents throughout the match. The theme of the match according to Walbright was the team’s dominance from no. 1 doubles to no. 5 singles.
“We have a really solid team, where you could probably put anybody anywhere,” Walbright said. “It’s a great problem to have.”
The Chargers host Ferris State University on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.