The Hillsdale College men's tennis team's best season since the program was restarted in 2015 came to an end in Sunday in the NCAA Midwest Regional at the hands of top-seeded Indianapolis.
The shorthanded Chargers fell to the Greyhounds 4-0 in a semifinal match at the Greater Midland Tennis Center in Midland, Michigan, finishing the season at 15-3 overall.
Although unable to field a No. 3 doubles team or a No. 6 singles player, the Chargers put up a good fight against powerhouse UIndy. Both contested doubles matches were close, with the Greyhounds winning a tight 6-4 decision over Hillsdale's No. 2 doubles team of Daniel Gilbert and Brian Hackman to clinch the doubles point.
UIndy quickly picked up the two victories it needed to clinch the match at No. 1 and 3 singles, with Renato Lima, the 26th-ranked singles player in Division II, beating Hillsdale's Tyler Conrad 6-0, 6-1 at No. 1 singles, and Yoann Viel triumphing over Hackman at No. 3 singles, 6-2, 6-0.
The loss to the Greyhounds, one of the top teams in the country in Division II and a legitimate national title contender, does nothing to diminish the shine of an excellent season for the Charger men. Hillsdale posted the best match winning percentage in program history since the 2015 restart, and went 7-0 against the G-MAC to claim both regular season and tournament titles. All three of Hillsdale's losses came to teams that were either ranked in NCAA Division II, the NAIA, or made the NCAA Tournament.
While Hillsdale loses senior Gabe Katz to graduation, their top five singles players all return in 2021-22, which means this could be just the beginning of an extended strong run for the Chargers. Hillsdale is also bringing in another solid freshman class to help bolster the team's depth and strengthen an already solid doubles lineup.
Photo Courtesy of JordanMenard