It's been a couple of seasons since the Hillsdale College men's tennis team has won a Great Midwest Athletic Conference title.
On Tuesday, the conference's coaches indicated that they expect the Chargers to retake the crown in 2020-21.
Hillsdale was picked to finish first in the G-MAC Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour, earning the vote of every other coach in the league to take home the crown.
The Chargers won the 2018 G-MAC title in their first season in the league, but finished third in 2019 and lost several key players from a 2020 team that never got the chance to show what they could do in conference play after the spring season was cancelled due to Covid-19.
Despite the graduation losses and an injury to expected No. 1 singles player Ivanhoe Lissanevitch that's kept him from playing so far, Hillsdale has looked like a strong squad in the early part of 2021, going 6-1 and earning five wins over regional foes from the GLIAC and GLVC.
Young players have carried the load for the Charger lineup, as sophomore Tyler Conrad has had a solid start after being unexpectedly thrust into the No. 1 singles spot a year earlier than expected, and a strong freshman class of Brennan Cimpeanu, Sean Barstow and Daniel Gilbert has racked up several notable wins against more experienced collegiate players.
Junior Brian Hackman has overcome health issues of his own to remain a steady contributor in the lineup, and senior Gabe Katz has stepped into an active role for the first time and played well for Hillsdale in several close matches.
The Chargers host Michigan Tech on Saturday for their next match, and open conference play on March 27 at Kentucky Wesleyan. The G-MAC tournament is scheduled for April 23-24 in Owensboro, Kentucky.
Great Midwest Men's Tennis Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour
1. Hillsdale - 25 points (5 first-place votes)
2. Tiffin - 18 points
3. Findlay - 17 points (1 first-place votes)
4. Walsh - 16 points
5. Cedarville - 9 points
6. Kentucky Wesleyan - 5 points