There's a new coach in charge of Hillsdale College women's tennis, but the goals and expectations for the Chargers remain the same entering the 2026 spring season.

Former player and assistant coach Melanie Zampardo has taken the reins of the Hillsdale program from retired head coach Nikki Walbright, and she has the Chargers aiming to extend their streak of G-MAC Tournament semifinal appearances to eight, and contend for Hillsdale's first G-MAC crown since 2021.

Results from the fall individual portion were encouraging for the Chargers, headlined by junior Ane Dannhauser, a two-time first team All-G-MAC player and 2024 G-MAC Freshman of the Year. Dannhauser had a banner fall, reaching the finals in the top singles bracket of both home invitationals and making the deepest-ever run by a Hillsdale women's tennis player in the ITA Midwest Regional with a semifinal appearance in the A draw, falling only to the region's top-ranked player, Eleanor Coleman.

Dannhauser is not only a top singles player for the Chargers, she also forms a nationally-ranked doubles team with sophomore Briana Rees, who's a strong singles player in her own right who picked up a win in the A bracket as well for the Chargers at the ITA Midwest Regional. Both as a team and individually, Dannhauser and Rees give the Chargers strong point-scoring potential at the top of the lineup.

Where Hillsdale could improve on last season is in its depth. After a solid freshman campaign, sophomore Julia Zlateva looks poised to make a leap in her second season with the Chargers after a strong showing in the B draw of the ITA Midwest regional as well.  

Hillsdale also has a strong group of newcomers. Lamar transfer Emma Palus and freshmen Dimitra Papastavrou and Esther Sura both had several wins this fall and look like they could be competitive in doubles pairings and deeper in the lineup for the Chargers against the other top teams in the conference. Another freshman, Sydney Singh, had several victories in the C draw of the ITA Midwest Regional and has the skill and potential to develop into a contributor in the near future as well.

The Chargers also return two veteran stalwarts in seniors Megan Hackman and Isabella Spinazze. The pair have been unsung heroes for Hillsdale throughout their time in college, fitting in the lineup in a variety of spots as needed and making important contributions, and will be two players the Chargers can rely on when it counts again in 2026.

As Hillsdale hopes to make a run at the title, the Chargers will face a difficult challenge in overtaking the two programs who have split the last four G-MAC crowns and finished no lower than third in the standings in that span in Findlay and Tiffin. Along with those two title favorites, Hillsdale also will have to watch out for Northwood and Walsh, both strong programs who are also looking to make a title push this season, as well as a Thomas More squad that made its first G-MAC Tourney appearance and looks to be a team on the rise.

Hillsdale opens up the 2026 spring campaign at home on Jan. 30 and 31, taking on Spring Arbor on Friday and Michigan Tech on Saturday in the Biermann Center. You can find the full schedule here.