The Hillsdale College women's tennis team won back-to-back matches for the first time this season, completing a sweep of weekend opponents with a thrilling 5-2 victory over Michigan Tech.
The match, as it seems most close college tennis matches do, turned on the doubles point. Hillsdale got big 6-4 wins in hard-fought matches at No. 1 doubles by the team of Sarah Hackman and Melanie Zampardo, and at No. 3 doubles by the team of Canela Luna and Megan Hackman.
Bolstered by that 1-0 lead, Hillsdale put the match away in singles play, sweeping the first four flights to claim a decisive edge quickly. Hackman took down her opponent at No. 1 singles, 6-4, 6-4, and Zampardo won a back-and-forth three set match at No. 2 singles against Michigan Tech's Ewa Podulka, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1.
Luna continued her recent hot streak with another straight sets win, capping her second straight undefeated weekend with a 7-5, 6-0 win at No. 3 singles over the Huskies' Neva Manas, and sophomore Libby McGivern also took down her opponent in straight sets at No. 4 singles, beating Tech's Emily Cojocaru 7-5, 6-2.
Hillsdale improves to 3-3 with the victory and has momentum heading into an important road match next Saturday in Grand Rapids against an always-solid Grand Valley State team in another regional match.
Photo by Isabella Sheehan