After weeks of practice, the Ball State University women's tennis team will finally be able to host a competition at its newly-renovated facility.
The Ball State Fall Invitational takes place today and Saturday at the reopened Cardinal Creek Tennis Center, with additional matches being held at Northside Middle School.
The invitational is not a team event, but is a chance for players to represent their schools, coach Kathy Bull said.
The tournament is divided into four 16-player singles flights, and four doubles flights with pool play.
Other teams attending the invitational are Mid-American Conference rivals Miami University and Northern Illinois University, along with the University of Dayton, Butler University, IPFW, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The seven teams participating is a drop in number from last year, when 10 teams were represented.
The two-day tournament marks the first action the Ball State players will encounter this year. The Cardinals went 8-13 last year, 2-6 in the MAC, and lost to the University at Buffalo in the MAC tournament.
Returning to the Cardinals from last season are seven letterwinners, including sophomore Sophie Quist, who was named to the All-MAC Second Team last season. Quist posted a 7-7 record in singles in 2006, including a 4-5 record in No. 1 singles. Other key returners for Ball State include 2006 Academic All-MAC members seniors, Haly Calderwood and Jennifer Pollack, both of whom achieved a 6-8 record in singles play.
Bull said with the growth of the MAC as a tennis conference, the competition keeps improving.
"There's a lot of parity...with 10 schools, they just get better and better each year," Bull said. "Seven, 8, sometimes 9 teams can compete [for the MAC championship]."
Bull is entering her 20th year with the team with a 220-185 record. During her tenure, she has led Ball State to five top-three finishes in the conference, and 8 straight Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-Academic Team awards.
The team has three seniors, two juniors, three sophomores, and two freshmen. Of these 10 players, three are from Australia and one is from England.
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