As a new face on the Hillsdale College men's tennis team, it hasn't taken long for freshman Brennan Cimpeanu to make an impact.
Cimpeanu jumped right into the lineup for the Chargers in the fall and he's been a mainstay for Hillsdale at No. 2 singles and with partner Gabe Katz at No. 2 doubles throughout the early part of the spring season.
And the Troy, Michigan native hasn't just been playing for the Chargers -- he's consistently winning matches against older opponents as well.
That success helped Cimpeanu earn Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men's Tennis Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career, the conference announced on Wednesday.
Cimpeanu earned the distinction after a 4-0 week where the freshman helped the Chargers split two hard-fought 4-3 matches against tough competition from Grand Valley State and Ferris State this past weekend.
Against the Lakers on Saturday at the Grand Rapids Racket and Fitness Club, Cimpeanu and Katz were the only Charger pair to pull out a doubles win, taking a match 7-5 at No. doubles, and then Cimpeanu won a critical match at No. 2 singles 6-4, 6-3 to provide one of the four points necessary for the Chargers to pull out the victory and stay unbeaten.
On Sunday, Hillsdale took its first loss of the season to Ferris State, but Cimpeanu was excellent to win both his matches against one of the top teams in the Midwest Region, teaming with Katz to win 6-1 at No. 2 doubles and beating Ferris State's Jan Koupil 6-3, 6-2 at No. 2 singles to give the Chargers a shot at pulling the upset.
Cimpeanu is the younger brother of Hillsdale College senior Hannah Cimpeanu, a top player for the Charger women's tennis team who's won five G-MAC Player of the Week awards in her career, including two earlier this season. So far, the younger Cimpeanu has proven that he's more than capable of living up to expectations and making a name for himself with his own high level of play.
The Chargers and Cimpeanu are back in action this Sunday with a home match against Southern Indiana, starting at 10:30 a.m., looking to improve to 6-1 on the year.