Excitement is rising for the spring 2024 women's tennis season as Hillsdale College looks to build on a long run of success in the sport in head coach Liam Fraboulet's second season.
In the first campaign under Fraboulet in 2022-23, the Chargers found their groove in the second half of the season, reeling off seven straight wins, including a G-MAC Tournament quarterfinal sweep of Ashland to reach the G-MAC semifinal round of the tournament for the fifth straight season.
The Chargers will look to build off that 10-9 campaign with a strong showing in dual meets this spring. Hillsdale enters the spring with some momentum after a strong fall performance in the ITA Midwest Regional.
In that event that included all the best players in the Midwest Region at the NCAA DII level, Hillsdale's doubles teams looked extremely competitive. Senior Melanie Zampardo and sophomore Megan Hackman made a run to the quarterfinals of the top flight, while the Chargers' other two doubles pairings each picked up wins as well.
That strength in doubles will be the foundation for the Chargers this season, as Zampardo and Hackman should be one of the region's best at the top of the lineup, with two more credible pairings at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles to compete with opponents.
In singles, Hillsdale has an exciting freshman talent in Ane Dannhauser, who had a strong performance in her first ever foray into ITA Midwest Regional competition this fall. She joins an experienced lineup headlined by Zampardo, a two-time All-G-MAC honoree, and Libby McGivern, now in her third year in the lineup.
The Chargers also have Hackman, junior Courtney Rittel, and senior Helana Formentin, all with significant singles experience at the collegiate level.
Hillsdale will compete for the G-MAC title in a crowded and well-balanced field atop the G-MAC. Defending champion Findlay, Tiffin, Walsh and Northwood all have solid programs who have gone back and forth with the Chargers in tight matches over their shared time in the conference. Ashland and Cedarville are also improving squads who could shake things up in the race for a spot in the conference tournament.
A potential wild card to throw into the mix is G-MAC newcomer Thomas More. The Saints had decent success at the NAIA level last season and beat Cedarville 7-0 in a match. While it's unlikely Thomas More would take the title in its first season, they could beat out some of the older members for a spot in the G-MAC Tournament and have the potential to pull some upsets.
You can find the complete schedule for the 2023-24 Hillsdale College women's tennis season here.