Four singles players and three doubles teams won matches for Hillsdale’s men’s tennis team Oct. 17-19.The ITA Midwest Regional in Grand Rapids draws the top NCAA Division II players in the Midwest for singles and doubles brackets. 

In the A singles draw, junior Ryan Papazov reached the quarterfinals of the consolation bracket after Purdue University Northwest’s player retired while trailing 4-3 in his round of 16 match. Papazov and freshman Jack Ford also won a consolation match in the B doubles draw, 8-6 over a Purdue Northwest team.

Freshman Zeteny Paragi won his opening A singles match against Cedarville University, 3-6, 6-1, and 10-4, before falling to the third seed. Paragi and sophomore Patrick Cretu beat a University of Illinois Springfield team 8-3 in B doubles. In B singles, junior Alex Cordero Lopez beat Quincy University 7-6, 2-6, 10-7. Junior Rintaro Goda won his C singles opener over Quincy, 6-3, 4-6, 13-11. Lopez and Goda reached the C doubles quarterfinals with wins over Tiffin University, 8-5, and University of Missouri-St. Louis, 8-2.

“A big takeaway was that we all put up really, really good fights,” Papazov said. “No one seemed to quit or tank or fall off, whether due to fatigue, injury, or just lack of motivation. Everyone stayed strong.”

Senior Ellis Klanduch, who has played at the ITA, regional in each of his four years at Hillsdale, said Paragi’s opening win was impressive.

“For your first ITA to be able to win your first round is pretty big,” Klanduch said. “Even if you just win one round in the A draw, it’s very good because of how ridiculously good the competition is.”

Klanduch called it a comeback win, and said it shows the freshman has a strong head on his shoulders. 

“His power in general from the baseline is very impressive, and his shot-making ability is continuing to improve,” Klanduch said. “There’s nothing shameful in losing in that second round.”

Papazov said Paragi’s loss against Wayne State University featured a lot of deuce points.

“I think that’s probably the main thing we do have to work on,” Papazov said. “Being able to pull off those little pushes to just get that point, get that game. Our conference is really, really stacked. There are a lot of good teams out there with a lot of good players.”

In his B singles win, Lopez led the first set 5-0 before dropping five straight games and winning the tiebreaker, Klanduch said.

“He was able to stay calm, listen to coaches’ advice, and work the point a little bit more,” Klanduch said. “He put in more high, heavy balls. He put in more slices. He got the guy off of his rhythm.”

Lopez said he has seen progress throughout the semester.

“I am very happy that despite not being able to play at my highest level, I am still capable of winning matches against good opponents,” Lopez said. “I think this is a major improvement for me this semester.”

Klanduch and his partner, senior Henry Hammond, lost their doubles opener 8-6 to a team from Ferris State University  that reached the quarterfinals. Both players are dealing with injuries, and Klanduch will sit out the rest of the semester to rehab his back.

“College tennis in general really comes down to one or two points,” Klanduch said. “And Ferris State won the one or two big points.”

The team will drop to an eight-hour weekly schedule the first week of November, Papazov said.

“We will work on our point play and building up the point with different strategies, different patterns,” Papazov said.

Klanduch said each player has a focus. Lopez will focus on footwork and extending points, Papazov on finding more shape over the net, Paragi on shot selection, and Ford on extending his forehand. He said the offseason is a time for behind-the-scenes work, including lifting.

“This is our time to get stronger and get more fit,” Klanduch said. “It’s our time in the lab. We have the best shot we’ve had in a couple of years of making a good run, a good deep run in the conference tournament.”

The Chargers will next play at home against Spring Arbor Jan. 29, 2027.