The Cardinals will try to continue their successful season thisweekend against two teams they lost to last year.
Ball State (9-5 overall, 3-1 in the Mid-American Conference)will host Northern Illinois on Friday and Western Michigan onSaturday at the Cardinal Creek Tennis Center.
Last year, the Cardinals faced Northern Illinois and WesternMichigan around the same time, and faced a 6-1 defeat against theSalukis and a 7-0 loss at Western Michigan. Still, coach Kathy Bullthinks that her team is going to compete this weekend.
"I think one thing in our mind, in the past two years we haven'tcompeted at our level against Northern Illinois," she said. "Ithink we're very close on paper, and if you look at it player byplayer, we're very even. I think coming off what I call a goodloss, we are ready for a big conference match."
Western Michigan, meanwhile, is tied for the lead in the MACwith No. 58 Marshall.
"We have a very nice healthy rivalry with Western Michigan, andwe know it's going to be a good, fair match," Bull said. "They'vegot a lot of power and depth. I don't think we match up as well asthem. Emotional levels are going to have to be high and in tune ifwe want to get it done."
This match begins a five-match home stretch going right into theMAC Championship, and Bull thinks that will help the team controlits own fate.
"We have more control over our own destiny," she said. "Knowingthat our next few matches are at home, I think that helps. I try touse the past to motivate, but I need players to step up. Every oneof my players is going to have to step up from last weekend. Ithink that we just have to have one of these breakout matchessoon."
Still, Bull has one thing she would like to see happen to helpher team perform.
"I hope we can get some fans to get out and give us some extraenergy," she said.
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