The Ball State University women's tennis team lost two home conference matches this weekend to No. 60 Western Michigan University and Bowling Green State University.
The Cardinals (8-10, 1-6 MAC) fell both days by 6-1 scores.
"I thought on Friday [against Western Michigan] we came out with the right frame of mind and energy level, but we were just beaten by a better team," head coach Kathy Bull said. "I was a little bit disappointed with Saturday's overall effort, though [against Bowling Green]. We just couldn't get that push over the top, and it wasn't a whole team effort with the right mind set."
Against Western Michigan (14-7, 7-0 MAC) - who defeated Miami University 6-1 on Saturday to claim its fourth straight MAC regular season title - the Cardinals lost the doubles point after mustering five games in the three opening doubles matches.
In singles, freshman Georgina Thomson was the lone winner for Ball State at the No. 5 spot after coming back to win 0-6, 7-6 (0-6), 10-4 against the Broncos' Ashley Moccia.
"You have to respect [Western Michigan head coach] Betsy Kuhle and the Broncos," Bull said. "They always come prepared. It's just a real tribute, and they have been at that level for the past five or six years. You know when you get done playing Western Michigan that you just got done playing the MAC champs."
Against Bowling Green (15-3, 4-3 MAC) on Saturday, junior Emma Retter collected the one win for the Cardinals at the No. 4 singles spot.
Bull said that Retter has been the model of consistency all season, especially after she had a three-set loss against the Broncos on Friday and came back to win on Saturday.
"I've really been pleased with Emma," Bull said. "She has really lifted her game up. She is very coachable when I go out there, and has been in every match and hasn't really been handled by anybody - and that's really impressive.
"Emma's just been really competitive, and that's all we ask from our student-athletes."
The Cardinals finish their regular season and conference schedule at home on Friday against Northern Illinois University (3-11, 1-5 MAC). The match, which is slated to be played at the Cardinal Creek Tennis Courts unless bad weather forces it into the Muncie YMCA Tennis Center, begins at 1 p.m.
Doubles lossesDuring the weekend, Ball State went 0-for-6 in doubles matches against Western Michigan University and Bowling Green State University. In addittion to the doubles losses, the Cardinals lost five of six singles matches against both of the Mid-American Conference opponents.
April 11 vs. WMUKerstin Pahl/Priyanka Parekh (WMU) def. Haly Calderwood/Jennifer Pollack (BSU) 8-1
Ashley Moccia/Noriko Saruta (WMU) def. Georgina Thomson/Sophie Quist (BSU) 8-0
Emily Dudzik/Yumi Matsuto (WMU) def. Emma Retter/Katherine Rist (BSU) 8-4
April 12 vs. BGSUKelsy Jukupcin/Christine Chiricosta (BGSU) def. Calderwood/Pollack (BSU) 8-4
Andrea Volle/Jenna Nussbaum (BGSU) def.Quist/Thomson (BSU) 8-4
Libby Harrison/Katia Babina (BGSU) def. Retter/Rist (BSU) 8-6
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