The Hillsdale College men’s tennis team is looking to build on the best season in program history.
Last season, the Chargers won the G-MAC and made it to the NCAA tournament for the first time in team history.
The team was led by sophomore Brennan Cimpeanu, who won the ITA Midwest Regional singles tournament, as well as reaching the quarterfinals of the ITA Cup, ending the season ranked 7th in NCAA Division II singles.
The doubles team of Cimpeanu and sophomore Sean Barstow were ranked 14th nationally after finishing second at the ITA Midwest Regional, adding two players to the national ranking, the first time any Hillsdale tennis player has been nationally ranked.
Barstow went 14-4 in singles and 11-10 in doubles in his first year with the team.
“Repeating as conference champions should be doable, but not a given,” junior Tyler Conrad said.
Conrad went 12-8 as the No. 1 singles player in only his second year playing for the college.
Not only will a G-MAC championship be difficult to replicate, but Head Coach Kieth Turner said this season may bring some new challenges of its own, in the form of a more difficult schedule.
“I’ve put together the toughest schedule we’ve ever had,” Turner said.
Players cited Davenport and Lewis as especially noteworthy matchups.
Davenport represents a particular challenge because they excel in doubles matches, which was a weakness for the Chargers last season.
“If you’re going to come to any of our games, come to the Davenport game,” Cimpeanu said.
Cimpeanu said he hopes to play with more consistency this year.
“I’d like to maybe be Player of the Year with God’s help,” Cimpeanu said. “And I want to be the teammate my team needs me to be. We need to be there for each other, especially with our dwindling numbers.”
Turner said staying healthy in the face of COVID-19 and injuries is another hurdle for the team. Players recalled how the team won the conference last season in spite of injuries and illness.
“We are in a very similar position as last year as far as needing to stay healthy,” Turner said. “We were able to do that last year. Hopefully that continues this spring.”
The Chargers take on Lawrence Technological University on Friday, Feb. 4 in Southfield, MI, before taking on Lewis University on Sunday, Feb. 6 in Plainfield, IL.
