Courtesy | Isabella Sheehan
The Hillsdale women’s tennis team participated in the Charger Summer Invitational Sept. 8-9, marking the commencement of the 2023-24 season.
Teams at the invitational included the Wayne State University Warriors, one of the Midwest’s leading Division II teams, and G-MAC title contenders the University of Findlay Oilers and the Walsh University Cavaliers.
In the singles category under draw one, freshman Ane Dannhauser secured the first win of the day against Findlay with scores of 7-5, 2-6, and 10-8. A subsequent match against Wayne State University saw Dannhauser facing a 6-1, 2-6 , 5- 10 defeat in the semifinals. Senior Melanie Zampardo, in the same draw, encountered a competitor from Findlay which ended in her defeat as well.
Under draw two, both sophomore Megan Hackman and junior Elizabeth McGivern were tested against their respective singles opponents from Wayne State and Findlay. While Hackman lost to her competitor, McGivern secured a 6-4 victory in her initial set; she was later overcome by Findlay in the second set and final tie-break.
Draws three and four ended in losses for senior Helana Formentin, junior Courtney Rittel, sophomore Isabella Spinazze, and senior Julia Wagner who competed against players from Walsh, Wayne State, and Findlay.
In draw one of doubles play, Dannhauser and McGivern worked together for an 8-6 win against a Findlay duo, but later they met their match against Wayne State in the semifinals.
While Formentin and Spinazze faced a loss against their Findlay opponents in draw two, Wagner and Rittel outperformed Walsh with a score of 8-3. Eventually, another Findlay duo beat the Hillsdale pair during the semifinals.
Zampardo reflected on the experience and said it was a positive weekend for the whole team.
“We had good energy throughout the entire two days despite being exhausted after being at the courts for 12 hours on Friday,” Zampardo said. “With everything being individual for these fall tournaments, there was not one team that came out on top. Most of us had at least a couple of great wins.”
The Chargers are set to compete in the 2023 ITA Midwest Regionals in Indianapolis, Indiana, Sept. 16-18. This event will feature the elite NCAA Division II singles players and doubles teams from the Midwest, making it a significant benchmark for teams in the region as they prepare for the spring championship season.
