The Hillsdale College women’s tennis team swept the Davenport University Panthers 4-0 at home on Sunday in the Biermann Athletic Center. The Chargers start off the season 2-0 after last week’s 5-0 sweep of Saginaw University.
After sealing up the doubles point with match wins on all three courts, the Chargers secured the next three points in under two hours. The straight set singles wins were secured by senior Hannah Cimpeanu, sophomore Canela Luna, and junior Sophia Spinazze.
The No. 1 doubles team Cimpeanu and junior Sarah Hackman finished off their set 6-2 and freshman Julia Wagner and sophomore Ellie Chawner won 6-0 at No. 3 doubles. Spinazze and Luna came together to win their set 6-1 at No. 2 doubles, which Spinazze said was a product of their net play.
“We were all really focused on moving towards the net, trying to get volleys, and just doing what we do well,” Spinazze said. “Canela and I did a good job of keeping it consistent and in until we could take advantage at the net or make them make a mistake.”
In singles, Luna defeated her opponent 6-2, 6-2 on the No. 2 court. After a tough week of practice, she said her mindset allowed her to play well.
“The biggest difference for me was playing with that calm mindset instead of trying to worry about ‘I gotta get this next point’ or ‘Oh, no, I lost this point,’” Luna said. “I just said every point is a new point, I just gotta move on and keep going forward.”
Spinazze’s 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 4 singles was a continuation of the earlier doubles match momentum, she said.
“I tried to keep that same mentality and do what I do well, stay consistent to force the error, move the ball around as much as I could,” Spinazze said. “Once it got started and I saw the momentum from the other courts, it made me want to keep pushing and finish it out as strongly as possible.”
Cimpeanu’s 6-1, 7-5 victory over Davenport’s No. 1 helped the Chargers wrap up the match before the 4, 5, and 6 singles matches were completed.
After a strong showing early in the season, Spinazze said the team is looking ahead to the next challenge in a spring season that could be shaken up by a fluctuating lineup and a focus on being able to perform well no matter who is where in the lineup.
“We don’t like to dwell on good or bad ones,” Spinazze said. “We just think about who’s next and think that the competition will keep getting tougher throughout the season.”
Competition ramps up Saturday when the Chargers travel to Indiana to play Purdue Northwest University. The match is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. CDT.
