Sophomore Aidan Pack played No. 2 Singles as a freshman last year. Courtesy | Isabella Sheehan

 

After finishing the spring season with a 13-8 win-loss record, the Hillsdale men’s tennis team will begin its fall season with the addition of four freshmen.

“Losing Brennan Cimpeanu and Brian Hackman to graduation will certainly hurt,” head coach Keith Turner said. “We will need to improve throughout the season if we are going to compete for a G-MAC championship.”

Freshmen Henry Hammond from London, Ellis Klanduch from North Carolina, and Kenko and Pali Vician-Flechler from South Carolina will join the team.

“Half of our roster is made up of freshmen, so having two of our three tournaments be at home will be helpful for them to get used to competing on our courts,” fifth-year senior Tyler Conrad said. Turner said the team’s strength will be its lineup for 1-6 singles and 1-3 doubles. 

“However, we probably don’t have a true number one player this year, so we will need to overcome that,” Turner said.

According to Turner, the team will be depending on seniors Conrad, Sean Barstow, and Daniel Gilbert. 

Conrad ended the spring season by earning first team all-conference honors for the third season in a row, and Barstow earned second team all-conference honors.

“They need to have strong years if we are going to compete for a G-MAC championship,” Turner said.

Sophomore Aidan Pack played No. 2 singles as a freshman for most of the spring season, and he went undefeated in the conference tournament.

“I’m in the best shape of my life right now,” Pack said. “I’ve been training hard this summer, and I’m striking the ball well in practice, so I feel very confident.”

According to Turner, Hammond and Klanduch were strong junior players. 

“It will be interesting to see how they perform at the college level,” Turner said.

Despite the concern of keeping up with other programs who are able to bring in top international players, Turner said he is excited about this year’s freshmen.

“I believe they are all good fits for the school and our program,” he said. “Henry Hammond and Ellis Klanduch should certainly help us in the lineup. Pali and Kenko Vician-Flechler will get opportunities to help us as well.”  

When it comes to training, Turner said he is always trying to implement new practice ideas to keep things fresh. 

“There will be a focus this fall on shots we probably don’t work on enough like drop shots and lobs,” he said.

For his senior year, Conrad said he hopes to make a strong appearance at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Midwest Regional which features all the best teams in the Midwest region. 

“I did not get the chance to train much this summer, and as a result I am very ready to get back to competing with my team,” Conrad said. 

Hillsdale will host the Charger Summer Invitational Sept. 16-17. The Walsh University Cavaliers, University of Findlay Oilers, and Lawrence Technological University Blue Devils will come to compete in the invitational.

According to Conrad, there is little pressure on the team for the fall season. 

“At the end of the day, the fall season is largely just a precursor to how the spring season might go,” Conrad said.