The Hillsdale College women's tennis team put up a great fight but came up just a few points short of victory in an extremely tight 5-2 loss to a talented Ferris State team on Friday evening at home.
The Chargers captured the doubles point to start the match thanks to a 6-3 victory by Sarah Hackman and Melanie Zampardo at No. 1 doubles, and a 6-1 win by Canela Luna and Megan Hackman at No. 3 doubles. Luna continued Hillsdale's strong start and wrapped up an undefeated day with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Morgan Waller of Ferris State at No. 3 singles as well to give Hillsdale two points.
With two points in hand, the Chargers came very close to finding the two points they needed to take the match. At No. 2 singles, Zampardo showed grit in winning a second-set tiebreak 7-3 to stay alive and force a third set against the Bulldogs' Parker Nolan, then pushed Nolan to the brink before coming up just short in 3-6, 7-6 (3), 5-7 thriller.
At No. 4 singles, in another tight match, sophomore Libby McGivern battled to reach a third-set tiebreak for the Chargers, coming up just short in a 7-3 result to fall to Ana Sofia Hernandez Ferrer of Ferris St., 6-3, 2-6, 6-7 (3) as well, while Megan Hackman also hung close at No. 6 singles, falling in a tight 5-7, 4-6 match to the Bulldogs' Kennedy Dumas.
With plenty of positives to build off of, Hillsdale (1-2) will look to bounce back tomorrow, Saturday, with another Midwest Region foe coming to the Biermann Center to take on the Chargers in Lewis.
Photo by Anthony Lupi