Although it looks like a scheduling conflict, coach Bill Richards knew what he was doing when he scheduled the Ball State University men's tennis team to play in two separate tournaments this weekend.
Juniors Jarrod Epkey and Jose Perdomo will compete nationally this weekend in Tulsa, Okla., while the rest of the team will be at the University of Notre Dame in the Tom Fallons Invitational.
"The ITA All American Championships are the biggest fall national collegiate tournament, so its important to feel represented there," coach Bill Richards said. "It's a very selective tournament and it's very difficult to get players in that draw."
Richards said he doesn't mind spliting up the roster this weekend, because it's important for the players not competing in the ITA to get playing experience during the fall season.
Perdomo is 6-2 in singles play this season, and Epkey has missed a majority of the team's first two tournaments because of back problems.
Perdomo said this will be an important experience for him.
"For me it is really exciting, this is the first time I will be participating in this kind of competition," he said. "It's really big, its really important for me and Ball State, and especially for my coach, so I am really looking forward to it."
This weekend's qualifying tournament will consist of 128 singles players and 64 doubles teams. Sixteen singles players and doubles teams advance to the main draw.
The main draw has 64 singles players, 32 doubles teams.
The ITA is comprised of eight regions, with each region guaranteed to have at least three singles and two doubles teams in the main draw. The other players for the main draw are selected on national ranking and results from last season.
"It is very difficult to get into the main draw, and even though to get into the qualifying, and it is even restrictive to get into the pre-qualifying," he said." Not just anyone can get in."
With Epkey and Perdomo missing the Tom Fallons Invitational, Richards said some changes will be made in the Cardinals' line-up.
"It's going to be tougher than usual for us, because two of our top guys won't be there," he said. "You'll have Eduardo [Pavia] up at the one spot [singles] and you'll have [Brett] Berryman at the two and three, so the level of competition will be very, very tough."
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