Nearly every Ball State University player played eight matches this weekend as the Cardinals women's tennis team competed in the Middle Tennessee Fall Invitational this weekend.
"We played a lot of tennis in what seems like a short period of time," coach Kathy Bull said.
Ball State got a lot of experience and spent a lot of time on the court as the Cardinals struggled for wins at the invite.
Jennifer Pollack and Emma Retter were the only two Ball State players to win their first round match, as no Cardinal finished above fifth place in any of the four single flights of the 2005 Middle Tennessee Fall Invitational at Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Pollack defeated Laura Caffey of Western Kentucky University 6-4, 6-1 in her first round match-up, but lost due to default to Annemieke Elholz in the second round.
Retter defeated Adrinna Borda of Jacksonville State University in three sets 5-7, 6-1, 10-4, before losing Katie Rhodes of Belmount University, 6-1, 6-2 in the second round.
Jessica Thompson, the team's top player, drew the tournament's eventual champion, Anastasia Zhukova of Tennessee-Chattanooga, in the first round.
"She was best tennis player we've seen in a long while," Bull said. "Jess rebounded and won a few before [Sunday] when I think she just ran out of steam.
"I think her game grew quite a bit this weekend."
Thompson will look to go to the ITA Regional Tournament soon, and has been working on "toughening up" her game.
Thompson also teamed up with Haly Calderwood to win the Flight A doubles consolation, while Stephanie Farrar and Katie Owens finished sixth in that same tournament.
The ITA Regionals begin on Oct. 20 in East Lansing, Mich.
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