Senior Melanie Zampardo preps for a serve. Courtesy | Isabella Sheehan
The women’s tennis team lost all seven of its matches played in Florida over spring break.
The shift from Michigan to Florida came with its own set of challenges for the Chargers, according to junior Libby McGivern.
“It was a tough week transitioning to playing outside again but we all played very well and had so much fun in the nice weather,” McGivern said.
Sophomore Isabella Spinazze said the team adjusted well to the Florida heat and bonded during the trip.
“The matches did not go our way,” Spinazze said, “but we had an amazing time in Florida. It was amazing for our team chemistry.”
The trip began with a match against the second-ranked Nova Southeastern University on March 11, where the Chargers fell 7-0. The No. 1 doubles team of senior Melanie Zampardo and sophomore Megan Hackman and the No. 3 team of senior Helana Formentin and McGivern each competed in tight 6-4 matches.
At No. 1 singles, Freshman Ane Dannhauser faced off against a ninth-ranked singles player in Division II, which resulted in a 6-2, 7-5 win. Zampardo and Spinazze each put up a fight in their singles matches as well, but they finished with 2-6, 2-6, and 3-6, 4-6 losses respectively.
The next day on March 12, the Chargers nearly clinched a win against Florida National University, with the match ending in a 4-3 defeat. Chargers dominated the doubles matches, sweeping all three to earn the doubles point, with Hackman and Zampardo leading the charge in a 6-3 victory. Dannhauser and junior Courtney Rittel, along with Formentin and McGivern, followed suit, each pair securing their matches with 6-2 scores.
Dannhauser and Zampardo continued their strong performances in singles play as the former triumphed 6-0, 6-1, and the latter 6-1, 6-1. Two third-set tie-breakers, however, which extended beyond seven points each, slipped away from the Chargers, sealing the narrow loss despite their early lead in singles play.
In the trip’s finale on March 13, the Chargers faced yet another opponent in Palm Beach Atlantic, enduring a 5-2 defeat.
The day started with a mixed outcome in doubles matches as Rittel and Dannhauser were the only pair to overpower their opponents 6-0.
In singles matches that followed, Rittel achieved a 6-7, 6-4, 1-0 comeback victory at the No. 6 position, and McGivern earned a point for Hillsdale at No. 3 singles before her opponent retired. Zampardo nearly added another win in a closely contested match that went to a third-set tiebreak.
“The spring break trip was great,” Dannhauser said. “The team had a chance to spend time together outside of Hillsdale and I think it only brought us closer together as a team. We played against some really tough schools, but every single match was super competitive and everyone had high energy.”
Finishing the trip with a 3-9 record, the Chargers are now focused on their upcoming performance in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, where they have matches scheduled against Kentucky Wesleyan University on March 23 and Thomas More University on March 24.
“We didn’t necessarily end the trip how we wanted to,” Dannhauser said, “but considering that we haven’t been outside in months, I am super proud of how we played. I think the team is totally ready for conference, and we will be going into the next few weeks intending to win the conference.”
