Sweet Sixteen is not only a term for college basketball; it's now an achievement for Ball State University seniors Jose Perdomo and Jorge Rodriguez in men's tennis.
The senior tandem won two matches in the doubles bracket of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regional this past weekend in Columbus, Ohio, before being eliminated in the third round. Perdomo and Rodriguez defeated duos from DePaul University (8-5) and Western Michigan University (8-6) before losing to a tandem of players from the University of Louisville (6-8).
"[Perdomo and Rodriguez] have made progress this fall," coach Bill Richards said. "It was a good tournament for them, but they need to convert on the match they lost. They had a chance to take a step forward with a win."
The Cardinals were represented in the ITA Regional as teams from across the Midwest sent players to compete. Like March Madness, the tournament consisted of a single-elimination bracket of 64 singles and 64 doubles tandems. A third bracket of 64 qualifiers also consisted of singles play.
"I felt like we played OK but not great," Richards said. "You hope to get more guys out further in singles, but it's a tough tournament with the best players from the Midwest."
Ball State went one and four in singles action as sophomore Shaun Bussert was the only Cardinal to make it out of the first round with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory against Bryce Warren of Butler University. Bussert was knocked out in a close three-set match against Richard Caneias of Xavier University 3-6, 4-6, 6-4.
Ball State fared better in the doubles bracket as freshman Andres Monroy and sophomore Eduardo Pavia won their first round match 8-3 against a duo from Iowa University to go along with the two victories of Perdomo and Rodriguez.
"It's good with the progress we are making in doubles, but we need to win some of the matches we've lost in singles," Richards said.
Ball State will send four underclassmen to an invitational in Milwaukee to conclude its fall season next weekend.
Five things to take away1. The doubles team of Jose Perdomo and Jorge Rodriguez won a pair of matches to advance to the Sweet 16.
2. Perdomo and Rodriguez lost in the third round to a team from Louisville.
3. Andres Monroy and Eduardo Pavia also won their first round doubles match.
4. Shaun Bussert was the one Cardinal to win a singles match.
5. Ball State concludes its fall season next weekend in Milwaukee, where four Cardinals will compete.
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