The Hillsdale College women's tennis team has won G-MAC titles in both years since joining the conference in 2018, and has never lost a match in conference play.
But if the G-MAC Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour is correct, the Chargers will be tested like never before in league play in 2021.
The Chargers were picked to finish third in the preseason poll, with 27 total points, two behind first place Findlay and one behind second place Walsh.
Five of the seven teams in the conference received at least one first-place vote in an extremely tight poll where the top four were separated by four total points.
Hillsdale is off to a 3-2 start to the season, with only narrow 4-3 losses to GLIAC contenders Ferris State and Wayne State keeping them from the ranks of the unbeaten.
The Chargers have a strong one-two punch at the top of the lineup in senior Hannah Cimpeanu and junior Sarah Hackman, both experienced players with multiple years in the lineup for Hillsdale.
Sophomores Canela Luna and Ellie Chawner have also played well for the Chargers, as has junior Sophia Spinazze.
Junior Tatum Matthews, senior Elli Formentin and freshmen Julia Wagner and Helana Formentin provide depth and give coach Nikki Walbright several options at the No. 6 singles spot and as doubles partners.
Hillsdale hosts Michigan Tech on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. for its next match, and opens conference play against Ursuline on March 20.
The G-MAC tournament is scheduled to take place on April 23-24 in Owensboro, Kentucky, where the Chargers will seek to prove the preseason predictions wrong and claim their third-straight conference crown.