The Hillsdale College men’s tennis team played its first dual match in over a decade on Saturday afternoon, falling to Lewis University 7-2.
Head coach Keith Turner said he was pleasantly surprised by the results, considering Lewis’s regional ranking and the size and inexperience of Hillsdale’s team.
Last fall, the Chargers participated in two tournaments, but the dual match they were slated to play was cancelled. None of the team’s six members had played a college dual tennis match before Saturday.
Hillsdale’s two wins of the afternoon came in doubles, as freshmen doubles partners Jerry Hewitt and Zach Rabitoy and freshmen partners Gianpiero Placidi and John Ciraci won their matches 9-8.
The Chargers could have potentially defeated Lewis, Turner said, because they played three close singles matches.
“We played the doubles first and we actually got up 2-1 in doubles,” he said. “We probably surprised them a little bit. They were probably overlooking us a little bit being a first year team, and once they knew what they were up against, I think they came out with a little bit more intensity in the singles.”
Freshman Gianpiero Placidi said results in doubles were a good achievement, though singles were tough.
None of the Chargers won a singles match, and only Placidi and Rabitoy were able to extend their matches to a third set.
“You can only improve from there,” Placidi said. “I think it’s a solid start.”
Now that the first match is out of the way, the team knows what to expect when competing against stronger opponents, Turner said.
“The team was tough,” sophomore captain Dugan Delp said. “Now we know what we’re up against and what we have to do to improve.”
The Chargers will play a total of 18 matches this season, including seven at home.
On Saturday, the Hillsdale College men’s tennis team will face Daemen College in its first home match in over a decade at 11 a.m. in the Margot V. Biermann Athletic Center.
Home matches have the advantage of better fan turnout, according to Delp.
“We do encourage fans to come and cheer for us on Saturday,” he said.
Because Daemen’s team is relatively new as well, Turner said he thinks Hillsdale has a great chance playing against them. He is happy with Saturday’s results, he said, and looks forward to the remaining matches.
“It’s a good first step for us, and if we just continue to improve, we should have a good season.”
