Charger men’s tennis hit a winning record on their season after coming out on top in the last two matches of the regular season at home April 18-19. Hillsdale now stands 11-8 overall and 5-3 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference play.
The Chargers started off their Easter break by playing the Cedarville University Yellow Jackets April 18. The team fell short at doubles play but made a strong comeback at singles to win the overall match 6-1.
At doubles play, the Chargers lost two of three matches to lose the doubles point, with freshmen duo Alejandro Cordero-Lopez and Rintaro Goda winning the only match for Hillsdale at No. 3 doubles.
At singles play, the Chargers won all six singles matches, with freshman Ryan Papazov at No. 1 singles, sophomore Henry Hammond at No. 4 singles and freshman Eddie Bergelin at No. 5 singles dominating the court. Cordero-Lopez played a tough match at No. 3 singles, winning a 10-5 third-set tiebreaker to grab a 6-1, 4-6, 1-0, victory.
The Chargers continued to have a successful weekend, winning 4-0 against the Ashland University Eagles April 19.
Klanduch and Hammond won 6-3 at No. 1 doubles, Bergelin and Papazov pulled a tight 7-5 tiebreaker to win 7-6 at No. 2 doubles, and Cordero-Lopez and Goda won 7-5 at No. 3 doubles to sweep the Eagles and secure the doubles point.
At singles play, Papazov had a strong performance at No. 1 singles, never dropping a game to claim a 6-0, 6-0 victory. Sophomore Ellis Klanduch at No. 2 singles and Hammond at No. 3 singles both won 6-2, 6-2, with Hammond securing the last point needed for Hillsdale to clinch the match.
Head coach Keith Turner said Papazov’s performance over the weekend exceeded his expectations and his position at singles play has contributed to the team’s success during the season.
“He’s one of the top freshmen in the conference,” Turner said. “Being able to put Ryan at the number one spot is one of the top reasons we’ve had a successful season.”
When asked about the Chargers’ performance this weekend, Director of Athletics John Tharp said he is happy for the team.
“I am very happy for Turner and the team with their winning season,” Tharp said. “I know Turner was pleased with how they played in singles on Friday. We wish them the best of luck as they head to the G-MAC tournament.”
The Chargers are traveling to Owensboro, Kentucky, to compete in the G-MAC Tournament April 24-26. Hillsdale is the No. 4 seed in the tournament and is scheduled to play No. 5 seed Walsh University in the quarterfinal on Thursday.
Turner said the team has been thinking of strategies to win the match, especially because the team will be without freshman Samuel Plys.
“We need to find a way to get the doubles point,” Turner said. “If we do that, we have a great shot of winning the match.”
Hammond said the team has learned a lot from their season and believes the team stands close to the higher ranked teams in the G-MAC.
“Knowing we are this close to those teams is a positive so we have some good momentum and drive moving into our last stretch,” Hammond said.
