Chargers women's tennis team picked to finish fourth in 2024 G-MAC Preseason Coaches Poll

With play already underway in spring, the Hillsdale College women's tennis team is looking to contend in a deep Great Midwest Athletic Conference race in spring.

Opposing G-MAC coaches in the league seem to think Hillsdale will be a factor, as the Chargers were picked to finish fourth in the conference's preseason coaches poll released on Thursday afternoon. Defending champion Tiffin was picked to repeat as league champions, while Findlay also received two first place votes. You can find the full poll below.

The Chargers are coming off a 10-9 campaign that saw the Chargers reel off seven straight match wins late in the season, including a G-MAC Tournament victory over Ashland, to reach the G-MAC Tourney semifinal round for the fifth straight season. In those five tournaments, Hillsdale has won three G-MAC Tourney titles, in 2018, 2019 and 2021.

Hillsdale is looking to continue building in head coach Liam Fraboulet's second-straight season. The Chargers will have to replace a strong senior class that graduated last spring, including two-time G-MAC Player of the Year Sarah Hackman, but has several veteran players back, led by two-time All-G-MAC honoree Melanie Zampardo. Already this season, Zampardo has formed a regionally-ranked doubles pairing with sophomore Megan Hackman, Sarah's younger sister, giving Hillsdale strength in the doubles portion of matches.

Along with Zampardo and Hackman, Hillsdale also has veterans in Libby McGivern, a third-year member of the lineup, Courtney Rittel, and Helana Formentin to turn to. The Chargers are also getting important contributions from senior Julia Wagner, who's battled injuries for her first three seasons at Hillsdale but is now healthy and in the lineup at both singles and doubles.

To this veteran core, Hillsdale has added freshman Ane Dannhauser, who's off to an impressive start in her first season and playing high in the lineup in both singles and doubles for the Chargers.

The Chargers continue their spring campaign tomorrow, Saturday, when Hillsdale hosts Michigan Tech in the Biermann Center for a match starting at 11 a.m. Hillsdale will play its first G-MAC match on March 23, also at home, when it hosts Kentucky Wesleyan. You can find the full schedule for the spring here.