2021-22 G-MAC Women's Tennis All-Conference Team
In four years with the Hillsdale College women's tennis team, Sarah Hackman has been a standout player who's accomplished nearly everything there is to accomplish in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
Today, with the G-MAC Tournament kicking off, the Island Lake, Illinois native added the one thing that was missing to her resume, earning G-MAC Player of the Year honors for the 2021-22 season.
Hackman is just the second Charger to win G-MAC Player of the Year honors, joining former teammate Halle Hyman, who won the award in 2018, and the fourth Hillsdale women's tennis player to win a conference Player of the Year award, along with GLIAC Players of the Year Kathy Heimbuch (1988) and Becky Wolf (1994-95).
The senior posted a 13-9 singles record this season playing exclusively at No. 1 singles, including a 6-1 mark in G-MAC play, the best of any player in the G-MAC in the top spot. She also finished with a 12-7 doubles record for the year, playing every match at No. 1 doubles, mostly with sophomore Melanie Zampardo but also three times with freshman Libby McGivern and once with junior Ellie Chawner.
It's a crowning achievement for Hackman, who jumped into the Chargers' lineup immediately as a freshman and has played a critical role in the team's success ever since. She's posted a 74-42 career record across singles and doubles while helping Hillsdale to two G-MAC Championships and two NCAA DII Tournament appearances.
She's also been named to the All-G-MAC team twice before this year, making the 1st team as a freshman in 2019 and this season, and the 2nd team as a junior in 2021. Hackman also has been named G-MAC Women's Tennis Player of the Week seven times in her career, and at least once in every season she's played.
And Hackman is not done, as she not only has this year's G-MAC Tournament run but also plans to return for a fifth year in the fall to take advantage of the extra year of eligibility she has been granted with the Covid-19 waiver for spring sports athletes.
Two more Chargers earned All-G-MAC honors for Hillsdale, joining Hackman in receiving recognition.
In her first season as a Charger, Hackman's doubles partner, Melanie Zampardo, earned second-team All-G-MAC honors. A transfer from Wayne State University, Zampardo played a key role in Hillsdale's G-MAC success after becoming eligible in the winter semester, posting a 4-2 record at No. 3 singles in conference play, and a 5-7 record in singles overall.
The sophomore also finished 9-5 at No. 1 doubles as Hackman's partner, with a 5-2 G-MAC record in doubles play.
Last, but certainly not least, senior Sophia Spinazze earned second-team All-G-MAC honors, to finish her career at Hillsdale with her first all-conference recognition. The Toledo, Ohio native posted a 12-5 singles record, playing primarily at No. 5 singles for the Chargers, including a perfect 5-0 mark in G-MAC play.
Spinazze also stood out in doubles for Hillsdale, going 15-6 for the season with a 5-2 mark in the G-MAC. The senior mostly paired with Canela Luna at No. 2 doubles for Hillsdale, but also went 3-1 and won the B Doubles Consolation title with Julia Wagner at the ITA Midwest Regional in the fall. Spinazze is currently 55-26 for the Chargers in her career.
Hillsdale (8-9, 4-3 G-MAC) looks to pull upsets and bring home a fourth-straight G-MAC Tournament Championship from the fourth seed this weekend in Owensboro, Kentucky. The Chargers open this afternoon with a semifinal match against top-seeded Findlay at 2:30 p.m. EST.