The Hillsdale College women's tennis team fell to host Florida National by the slimmest of margins on Tuesday, as two third-set tiebreaks went against the Chargers in a 4-3 loss on the second match of Hillsdale's three-match swing through the Sunshine State.
The Chargers swept all three doubles matches in emphatic fashion to take an early lead. Hillsdale's top duo of Megan Hackman and Melanie Zampardo won a 6-3 match at No. 1 doubles for the Chargers, and both the No. 2 doubles team of Ane Dannhauser and Courtney Rittel and the No. 3 doubles team of Helana Formentin and Libby McGivern each picked up 6-2 wins to help give Hillsdale the doubles point.
Hillsdale got off to a great start in singles play, as Dannhauser crushed Florida National's Karyna Krykunenko in a dominant 6-0, 6-1 victory at No. 1 singles, while Zampardo also cruised to a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Florida National's Natalia Calvo at No. 2 singles to put Hillsdale one win away from victory.
That victory, however, proved elusive. Both the No. 3 and No. 6 doubles match went to a third set tiebreak, and both those tiebreaks extended past seven points, but in both cases Florida National ultimately pulled out the match. Combined with wins at No. 4 and No. 5 singles, that was enough to push Florida National over the top and to a narrow victory.
The Chargers are now 3-8 overall, and will finish up the Florida trip tomorrow, Wednesday, with a match at Palm Beach Atlantic.
Photo by Isabella Sheehan