As a first-year player at No. 5 singles for the G-MAC regular season champion Hillsdale College men's tennis team, Daniel Gilbert at times flew under the radar this season.
But the freshman from Fort Wayne, Indiana has been critical to the Chargers' success this year, and when the moment came in this past weekend's G-MAC tournament where he was thrust into the spotlight, Gilbert was more than ready.
His 4-0 weekend in the G-MAC semifinals and finals not only helped Hillsdale add a G-MAC tourney crown to its regular season title, but it also earned Gilbert the final G-MAC men's tennis athlete of the week award, the first of his career.
Gilbert played a crucial role in Hillsdale's 4-0 win over Findlay in the semifinal and 4-3 win over Tiffin in the final this past Friday and Saturday in Owensboro, Kentucky. Partnering with junior Brian Hackman at No. 3 doubles, Gilbert won both his matches -- a 7-6 (6) tiebreak against Findlay, and a 6-3 victory against Tiffin -- and both those victories ended up securing the doubles point for the Chargers, giving Hillsdale a critical advantage entering singles play.
Against both the Oilers and Dragons, the freshman's singles match ended up being the one that clinched the victory. His 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 5 singles over Octavio Carrasco of Findlay on Friday secured a 4-0 Charger win over the Oilers. On Saturday, his match was even more critical -- with the final deadlocked at 3-3, the outcome came down to his match against Tiffin's Matthew Telford.
Gilbert rallied from a 1-6 first set loss to Telford to win the second set 6-4, but trailed throughout the third set, falling behind 5-3 at one point and sitting just one game away from defeat. But the freshman rallied to force a tiebreaker, then took the tiebreaker to secure the match victory and the title for the Chargers.
While the victory was exciting, it wasn't suprising, as Gilbert has been excellent in his first season with Hillsdale, boasting an 11-3 singles record, including a 10-2 mark at No. 5 singles. Gilbert also has a 10-6 mark at No. 3 doubles with his partner, Hackman, including a 7-0 record against G-MAC opponents.
Gilbert and the Chargers next turn their focus to the NCAA Tournament. Hillsdale has earned the automatic qualifying bid for the G-MAC and will be part of the field for the first time in program history. The NCAA announces the schedule and bracket for the tourney on May 4.