Ané Dannhauser beat Michigan Tech’s No. 2 player 7-6, 6-2. Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department
The Hillsdale women’s tennis team ended its fall season with a series of exhibition matches against Michigan Technological University in the Biermann Center Oct. 7.
The two-day Chargers Fall Invitational was not played as scheduled due to cold and wet weather that prevented consistent play on the outdoor courts, according to Director of Athletic Communications James Gensterblum.
The invitational was set to include Lake Superior State University, Michigan Technological University, and Thomas More University, but the Hillsdale women’s tennis team adjusted their plans and proceeded with the exhibition matches against Michigan Tech University. There are currently no plans to reschedule the invitational.
The day of exhibition matches began at 9 a.m., and it was filled with matches which spanned approximately 14 hours.
Senior Julia Wagner said the day was a positive end to the fall season.
At the 9 a.m. slot on court four, freshman Ané Dannhauser secured a win against Michigan Tech’s No. 2 player with scores of 6-6 and 6-2. Another success came when junior Libby McGivern clinched a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Michigan Tech’s No. 3 player in singles play.
Wagner also highlighted sophomore Megan Hackman’s third-set victory against Michigan Tech’s No. 5 player, ending in a close 4-6, 6-4, 13-11 score.
Other honorable mentions include Wagner’s 6-2, 6-1 win against the Huskies and senior Helena Formentin’s decisive 6-3, 6-2 victory over her singles opponent.
Wagner and junior Courtney Rittel won 6-4 in the doubles category. Additionally, Dannhauser and McGivern came out on top in their doubles match with a final score of 6-2.
Dannhauser said the team is ready for future matches.
“It was a very good day. We were at Biermann for a total of 14 hours by the end of the day, but we managed to maintain a high energy level throughout the entire day,” Dannhauser said. “The matches we played were very competitive, and I’m confident that by the time the spring season comes around, we will be ready for anything that comes our way.”
McGivern praised her teammates for their sense of camaraderie.
“The team stayed really energetic and positive all day,” McGivern said. “Despite being in the Biermann for 14 hours straight, we kept cheering each other on and supported each other through every match.”
Similarly, Rittel said the team was focused and persevered throughout the long day of matches.
“I’m really proud of how the team pushed through to the very last matches at 10 p.m. It was a super long day, which makes it easy to completely check out and lose focus, but we did not and fought until the end,” Rittel said.
Based on the day’s results, Wagner provided a hypothetical overall score, suggesting Hillsdale would have taken a 4-3 victory in a dual match format based on their singles and doubles performance.
“I think this weekend was a great way to close out the fall season. Everyone fought hard despite being out there for 14 hours on Saturday,” Wagner said. “You could tell our energy stayed solid throughout the day, and we pulled out some great wins including some third-set tiebreaks.”