No team faced a greater challenge on the first day of the 2016 GLIAC Women's Tennis Tournament than Hillsdale College.
The CHargers, the #8 seed, were matched up with undefeated and top-seeded Northwood on the first day of the three-day tournament. Hillsdale lost to the Timberwolves 5-1. The Chargers will now play Saginaw Valley State in Saturday's second round.
The Chargers' lone winner in the first round was the No. 3 doubles team of Dana Grace Buck and Madeline Bissett, who defeated Tetyana Pavych and Anastasiia Kazub by a score of 8-6. For Buck, a senior, it was a successful start to her final collegiate weekend of competition.
Northwood posted wins at No. 2, 3 and 5 singles, while also winning each of the top two doubles flights to advance.
Saturday, the Chargers dropped a 5-2 decision to Saginaw Valley State in a second-round matchup. Once again, Buck and Bissett were victorious at No. 3 doubles, and sophomore Halle Hyman was a 6-4, 7-5 winner at No. 1 singles.
Sunday, Hillsdale played its best match of the tournament, winning the seventh-place contest against Michigan Tech 5-1.
Buck and Bissett completed a perfect weekend with an 8-3 win at No. 3 doubles. Hyman and freshman Katie Bell were 8-6 victors at No. 1 doubles.
Hillsdale won three matches in singles play, led by an impressive performance from sophomore Julia Formentin, who won a 6-0, 6-0 decision at No. 6 singles. Bell also won in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, while Bissett also turned in a strong performance at No. 4 singles, winning 6-3, 6-3.