Top-seeded Chargers go back to back at G-MAC Championship

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Top-seeded Chargers go back to back at G-MAC Championship
Katie Bell returns a serve against Ferris State on February 10. (Ryan Goff | Collegian)

The Hillsdale College Chargers put together two dominant matches to defend the G-MAC title April 26 and 27 at the G-MAC Championship in Owensboro, Kentucky.

The Chargers defeated the University of Findlay 4-0, then won the title match 4-1 against Wash University.

In the semifinals match, the no. 2 and 3 doubles teams of sophomore Hannah Cimpeanu and freshman Sarah Hackman, and junior Kam Matthews and senior Madeline Bissett got out in front to take the first point of the match, winning their sets 6-3 and 6-2. From there, Matthews, junior Katie Bell, and senior Corinne Prost won their matches comfortably to take the next three points and clinch the match.

The finals match against Walsh was closer than the day before, with two matches in their third set by the time the match was clinched.

“The finals match was certainly a battle for us,” head coach Nikki Walbright said.

In the finals match, no. 2 and 3 doubles kept up their dominant weekend with a pair of 6-2, 6-3 sets to take the first point.

“Doubles was an awesome performance for us. No. 2 and 3 improved tremendously from our first match with them and they both dominated to get us the doubles point,” Walbright said. “All 6 courts for singles were tough, so I was happy with how the whole team fought and never gave up.”

In singles, Matthews got off the court first at winning 6-0, 6-1, followed by Bell’s loss 3-6, 3-6 on the no. 4 court. Prost earned another singles victory 6-4, 6-3, and Hackman clinched the match in her 6-3, 7-5 victory on the no. 2 court.

“Hackman’s last game had every point going very long rallies and her opponent was struggling to get through it,” Walbright said. “On the last point she put away a winner and everything just stopped. The team came running on the court and it was just the coolest moment.”

The title earned the Chargers a spot to play Grand Valley State University at the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional on Monday.

“We are just expecting a really competitive match,” Walbright said. “They are one of the best teams in the region so we are going into it knowing we want to play our best tennis and have fun.”