A large and decorated senior class in 2023-24 meant the Hillsdale College men's tennis team entered recruiting looking to restock with a big and talented group of incoming freshmen for the upcoming school year.
Mission accomplished for head coach Keith Turner, as the Chargers have signed four strong prospects from across the globe to fortify Hillsdale's roster and give the Chargers the firepower they need to continue to compete with the best teams in a G-MAC that grows increasingly stronger in the sport with each passing year.
Eddie Bergelin (Bjarred, Sweden/Polhemskolan), Alex Cordero Lopez (Madrid, Spain/IES Giner de los Rios), Rintaro Goda (Troy, Michigan/Athens) and Sam Plys (Downers Grove, Illinois/Downers Grove South) comprise a deep class that should make an immediate impact when they arrive on campus in August.
Bergelin is a gifted tennis player from Sweden, a country with a long history in tennis and several great international players over the years. Bergelin has won multiple championships in his home country, most recently the Akarp Indoor Open in 2025, and also the Skane Open and the Bjarred Open in 2023, while also competing in the third division of the Swedish Tennis League. Bergelin is having his best year of competition in 2024 with a 7-1 singles mark so far this year, and will bring extensive experience in the sport to Hillsdale.
A strong student, Bergelin is involved in Pexet, a Swedish organization that organizes, designs and puts on performances, and is also the President of his high school's Design group, helping design posters and merchandise. In his spare time, Bergelin also has worked as a tennis instructor with local youths and adults.
Cordero Lopez comes to Hillsdale from another European tennis hotbed, as Spain has been home to some of the world's best players in recent years. Despite tough competition in his home country and living in the capital, Madrid, Cordero Lopez made his mark by taking multiple regional and national tournaments during his time in high school. A two-sport athlete early in his high school career, he also flashed his athleticism by helping lead his school's basketball team to a league championship. A solid student, Cordero Lopez also served as his high school's class president during his senior year.
Goda has been a four-year letterwinner for a Troy Athens tennis program that's one of the top in the largest classification in the state of Michigan for several years running. Goda is a three-time All-State honoree at the MHSAA DI level, reaching the round of 16 at No. 1 singles in each of the last two MHSAA State Finals and also making a run to the state semifinals as part of a No. 1 doubles team with Troy Athens in 2021 as a sophomore. The Troy, Michigan native also has two USTA Level 6 tournament titles at Perrysburg and Novi as well during his time on the club tennis scene. A standout student, Goda is on track to graduate with honors from Troy Athens this spring.
Plys has been a standout tennis player for Downers Grove South in Illinois, with a strong track record in his first three seasons and his final campaign just getting underway this spring. Plys is a two-time conference singles champion at Downers Grove South and a two-time IHSA 2A singles state qualifier, making a spirited run through the consolation bracket to place in the top 16 and earn All-State honors in singles as a junior in 2023. For his career he has a 71-16 high school record, including a 32-6 mark in 2023.
An impressive student, Plys is a three-time All-Academic honoree and earned the IHSA Scholastic Achievement Award in 2023, while also being named an Illinois State Scholar for the 2023-24 school year. Plys also has served as a tennis coach at Hinsdale Racquet Club, and also has been part of the youth ministry at St. James at Sag Bridge Catholic Church in Lemont and St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Downers Grove.