The Ball State University men's tennis team showed how to protect its courts against teams it's expected to beat. Case in point: Its 7-0 victory against IPFW on Wednesday.
The shutout came five days after Ball State lost by the same score to the University of Illinois.
"We won pretty decisively," coach Bill Richards said. "I couldn't single anyone out. Everyone did a good job."
This was the second consecutive year the Cardinals defeated the Mastodons 7-0. In the last four years, Ball State has won a combined 27 of 28 matches in its four meets against IPFW.
The Cardinals improved to 1-1 on the year while the Mastodons dropped to 0-3. Ball State will travel to the University of Michigan to take on its second Big Ten Conference opponent of the season.
"It helps in a lot of ways. We needed to win matches and gain experience," Richards said. "I think everyone gained confidence today, and that will help against Michigan on Saturday."
The Cardinals won most of their matches in straight sets, including victories by seniors Jose Perdomo and Jorge Rodriguez, sophomores Eduardo Pavia and Shaun Bussert, and freshman Andres Monroy. Freshmen Jon Wegner, who played No. 6 singles, won his match in a third and final tie-breaking set. Ball State also swept doubles play.
"In a match where you are favored to win there is a tendency to let down," Richards said. "But we took care of business and didn't overlook them."
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