Freshman Dimitra Papastavrou during Friday’s match. Courtesy | Ashley Van Hoose
The Hillsdale women’s tennis team kicked off its spring season by sweeping the Spring Arbor University Cougars 7–0 Jan. 30, and beating the Michigan Tech University Huskies 5–2 Jan. 31 in the Margot V. Biermann Athletic Center.
“It’s definitely a really good feeling to see that we lived up to our potential,” head coach Melanie Zampardo said.
Senior Bella Spinazze said the Chargers haven’t played Spring Arbor while she’s been on the team. Last year, they lost to Michigan Tech 4–3.
“Michigan Tech is a team that we have not beaten in a few years and is always a really challenging match for us, just because it’s a good, tough team at the beginning of the season,” Spinazze said.
Spinazze and her doubles partner, sophomore Briana Rees, beat the Cougars 6–3 and the Huskies 6–0.
“It was really fun to get back into match energy and have some matches under our belt and really get the season in full swing,” Spinazze said. “We’ve been working so hard since the fall for this moment, and it really paid off. That was clearly evident this weekend.”
Rees won 6–0, 6–2 in singles against Spring Arbor and 6–3, 5–7, 7–5 in singles against Michigan Tech.
“Briana had two singles, and her consistent energy throughout the entire match, you know, bringing up her teammates on both sides and just never relenting on the energy that she gave,” Zampardo said.
Junior Ané Dannhauser played singles and doubles in both matches. Dannhauser and her doubles partner, senior Megan Hackman, beat the Cougars 6–4 and the Huskies 6–3.
“I think it was the perfect start to the season,” Dannhauser said. “I was challenged in my matches and really had to work for points in both matches. Megan and I played together for the first time in a while, and while we were very nervous in the first match, the second one went much better, and we really worked together to gain momentum and take over the match.”
Dannhauser won her singles match against Spring Arbor 6–3 and 7–5, and her singles match against Michigan Tech 7–5, 6–3. Hackman won her singles match against Spring Arbor 6–0 and 6–1.
Zampardo said the two freshmen on the team, Dimitra Papastavrou and Esther Sura, both won their first college doubles and singles matches.
Papastavrou and Sura beat the Cougars 6–0 in doubles but lost 4–6 to Michigan Tech. Papastavrou won her singles match against Spring Arbor 6–1 and 6–2. Sura won her singles match against Spring Arbor 6–1 and 6–0, and her singles match against Michigan Tech 6–3, 6–2.
Sophomore Julia Zlateva beat Spring Arbor 6–4, 6–1 in singles and Michigan Tech 6–4, 6–2 in singles.
The women’s tennis team will play again next week, with a home match against Goshen College Feb. 7 at 3 p.m. and an away match against Saginaw Valley State University Feb. 8.
“I am hoping for the same energy, and if anything, upping the energy a bit,” Zampardo said.
