A shorthanded Hillsdale College men's tennis team fell to an extremely tough Grand Valley State squad in a 7-0 home defeat on Saturday.
Missing two regular starters from the fall season, the Chargers couldn't take a point off the veteran Lakers, who won all nine matches contested on the day.
While Hillsdale was defeated, it didn't go down without a fight. Playing two spots up from his usual position, sophomore Daniel Gilbert pushed Grand Valley St.'s Tomas Oliviera to three sets in a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 defeat at No. 3 singles, and freshman Jonathan Degtyaryov also put forth an impressive fight at No. 4 singles, taking GVSU's Martin Matov to three sets in a 6-7 (4), 7-5, 11-9 defeat. The pair also teamed up for Hillsdale's best doubles performance of the day, falling 6-3 to Matov and Sean Miller at No. 2 doubles.
In the first match of his career at No. 1 singles, sophomore Sean Barstow came up short against GVSU's Josep Canyadell in a 6-2, 6-4 loss, and Tyler Conrad, Bogdan Janicijevic and Samuel Clyde also fell in straight sets in their singles matches for the Chargers.
Now 1-2 on the season, Hillsdale hosts Purdue Northwest tomorrow, Sunday, at 1 p.m. for its next match.
Photo by Anthony Lupi