Thanks to solid singles play throughout the lineup, the Hillsdale College men’s tennis team topped previously unbeaten Lawrence Tech 5-4 on Saturday, elevating their record to 2-1.
Head coach Keith Turner said he wasn’t surprised when the team emerged from doubles play with two losses and just one win, but he wasn’t discouraged either.
“Lawrence had a strong doubles team. We were playing on these faster courts that we weren’t used to, and they had a bunch of big hitters,” Turner said. “I wasn’t surprised when we lost two of three doubles matches, but I knew that we could be a better singles team than them. Everyone one through six played well, especially at the top of the lineup.”
Freshman Justin Hyman, sophomore Dugan Delp, and freshman Gianperio Placidi swept their opponents in straight sets at No. 1, 2, and 3 singles, respectively. Turner said the top three men played “unbelievably well,” but also noted a strong performance at No. 5 singles by freshman Zach Rabitoy.
“He knew the pressure situation that he was under and that he needed to win that match,” Turner said. “He came out and played great and that was very encouraging.”
Rabitoy said the match was challenging, but the victory left him hopeful for the future.
“With my opponent being someone who my coach had attempted to recruit in the past, there was pressure on me to play better,” Rabitoy said. “But I was able to stick through it mentally. After not only my win but the team win as well, I felt like we had just run up against a tough team and shown that we can compete at a high level even though we are not as experienced as other teams.”
Delp said Rabitoy has stood out as an asset to the team.
“Zach Rabitoy, our No. 5 guy, has done really well so far this season,” Delp said. “He’s already improved so much from last semester, and his victory Saturday was huge. The kid he played was really tough, but he was able to grind it out.”
Delp and Hyman teamed up for an 8-4 win at No. 1 doubles. The duo has tallied just one loss so far, which Turner said has since proven beneficial to their play.
“We played a really tough team in our first match of the season, Lewis, and they were No. 6 in the nation,” Turner said. “So they were able to see right away what the top doubles teams in college are like. That was a good learning experience for them and showed how they needed to play. The last few matches they’ve played fantastic — especially this past weekend against Lawrence Tech.”
Delp explained why he and Hyman are working well together.
“Justin is great to play doubles with because he plays so ‘big,’” Delp said. “It’s really easy to set him up when he’s at the net because he is very aggressive. Likewise, his groundstrokes are so solid that I am able to be more confident and aggressive when I am at the net.”
Additionally, Turner said Delp’s strong backhand compliments Hyman’s strong forehand.
Tomorrow, the men will host Spring Arbor University at 4:30 p.m. in the Margot V. Biermann Athletic Center. Turner said he expects the match will be winnable for his team, even though Spring Arbor has traditionally been a strong team.
The Chargers will continue to match up against non-conference teams until GLIAC matches begin in late March. Hyman said playing these teams has proven to be good preparation.
“Playing these out-of-conference teams is preparing us for the GLIAC season because it’s showing us where we are compared these other teams and how we compete against them,” Hyman said.
Turner said the schedule has unfolded according to plan.
“We played a really strong team right off the bat, I wanted us to see what it was like to play the tough teams. Then ease back a little bit and have an easy win against Daemen. Then an even-leveled team in Lawrence Tech and we were able to pull that one out,” Turner said. “The fact that we’ve won two of our first three matches after not having a team for fourteen years, I think everyone has been excited about that.”
