Freshman Ané Dannhauser will make her freshman debut this season. Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletics
The Hillsdale College women’s tennis team, led by Head Coach Liam Fraboulet, hopes to make it to the G-MAC tournament final after losing in the semifinal match last spring.
During the 2022-23 season, the Chargers won seven consecutive matches, including a win in the G-MAC Tournament quarterfinal against Ashland. The Chargers will kick off the spring season in an away match against the Eastern Michigan University Eagles this Saturday, Jan. 27.
“I’m very excited for the season,” Fraboulet said. “It will probably be one of the busiest seasons in a few years, so I’m very excited to see how the girls compete. We have three seniors on the team, so a lot of experience, and I’m hoping that they’ll take us to a conference title this year.”
During the ITA Midwest Regional in the fall, Hillsdale’s doubles teams set a positive tone for the upcoming season. Senior Melanie Zampardo and sophomore Megan Hackman advanced to the quarterfinals of the top flight, while Hillsdale’s other doubles pairings also recorded wins.
In singles play, freshman Ané Dannhauser, who participated in the ITA Midwest Regional, is the only freshman joining an upperclassmen-heavy lineup which includes seniors Zampardo, Helena Formentin, and Julia Wagner.
Sophomore Isabella Spinazze commented on the team’s dynamics going into the spring season.
“We are super excited and it’s really great to be back on campus together,” Spinazze said. “We have eight girls this year compared to our 11 last year, so we really have to work hard, but we have great team chemistry which I think we’re all really looking forward to.”
The G-MAC title race is anticipated to be competitive, including teams like Findlay, Tiffin, Walsh, and Northwood (to name a few). The addition of Thomas More, a new member from the NAIA level, adds another competitor to the conference.
“We’re on the road a lot for our schedule. Being on the road is definitely going to be challenging, but we have done it before and we’ll do it again and hopefully get a lot of road wins.”
With the 2024 spring season marking Dannhauser’s official debut, the Hillsdale women’s tennis team is poised for success in the upcoming season in the G-MAC.
“We are starting against a strong team in Eastern Michigan this Saturday,” Fraboulet said. “That’s where things will start for us this year.”
