Sophomore Megan Hackman dominates the No. 6 Singles. Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department
The Hillsdale women’s tennis team celebrated its first win of the season with a commanding 6-1 victory over Edinboro University Feb 17.
Despite facing a 2-5 setback in the match against Mercyhurst University the following day, senior Helana Formentin said that Saturday’s win was just what the team needed.
“Our series of losses at the beginning of the season amidst many hours of practice was starting to deplete our confidence,” Formentin said. “However, we were able to come together as a team on Saturday and get that 6-to-1 win.”
Kicking off the day with a strong start in doubles play Feb. 17, the Chargers took all three doubles matches from the Fighting Scots.
Sophomore Megan Hackman and senior Melanie Zampardo led the effort with a closely contested 7-5 victory in No. 1 doubles. The No. 2 and No. 3 doubles followed suit, with junior Courtney Rittel and freshman Ane Dannhauser beating their opponents 6-4 at the No. 2 spot, while junior Elizabeth McGivern and Formentin’s 6-2 win in No. 3 ensured a clean sweep in doubles play.
“We started the match hot with a 3-0 doubles sweep, and unlike previous matches, kept that momentum going into singles,” Formentin said. “Every court put everything on the line and we won as a cohesive team.”
The Chargers began singles play with a No. 1 singles loss. They quickly recovered, however, winning the next five matches.
At the No. 2 singles spot, Zampardo led the charge in singles play with a 6-0, 6-3 victory. The winning streak continued with McGivern clinching a 6-3, 6-2 win in the No. 3 position, and Formentin outdoing her opponent 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the No. 4 spot. Rounding out the victories, senior Julia Wagner won 3-6, 6-0, 6-0 in the fifth singles match, and Hackman dominated the No. 6 singles 6-0, 6-1.
“Personally, I didn’t play my best and didn’t get the results I wanted in singles,” Dannhauser said. “But, the team all showed up and played their absolute best. The energy was there, and we competed extremely well once again.”
In their second matchup of the weekend, the Chargers fell to Mercyhurst University.
The Chargers began with a promising start as Hackman and Zampardo claimed a 6-2 win in the opening doubles match. This early advantage, however, wasn’t enough to claim the doubles point, a first for the season, placing Hillsdale in a 1-0 deficit.
In the singles matches, Zampardo celebrated an undefeated weekend as she achieved a 6-1, 7-6 victory. Additionally, Rittel clinched a 6-3, 6-4 win for the Chargers in the No. 6 singles. Facing notably strong competitors, Formentin said the Chargers struggled to bridge the early deficit and were unable to turn the match around in the end.
“Going into Sunday, we hoped for the same outcome, but came a bit short,” Formentin said. “Regardless of the score, we are hoping to take the positives from it and get to practice this week, determined to get another win.”
The Chargers now stand at 1-4 overall. Looking ahead, the Chargers will face Lake Superior State University on Feb. 24 and Ferris State University on Feb. 25.
“Coming out on top against Edinboro really helped the team’s confidence, so I’m excited for our matches against Lake Superior and Ferris this weekend,” Hackman said.
According to Hackman, the Chargers are building momentum, and they intend to use their recent experiences to achieve success in future matches.
“This past weekend was very good for the team,” Dannhauser said. “This week we are going to work on closing out the tight matches, and winning the important points before this weekend’s upcoming matches.”
