The Ball State University men's tennis team's 6-1 loss Saturday had some bright spots.
For instance, playing No. 16 University of Michigan which won its second match of the night, although the Cardinals avoided a shutout thanks to a new teammate.
Cliff Robinson, who is from South Africa and has been on the Cardinals' roster for two weeks, defeated Mike DePeitro 6-4, 6-1 in the No. 6 singles match for Ball State's only win against Michigan.
"He's never played an indoor match in his life so it was a positive for him and our team," coach Bill Richards said.
Robinson is so new that he is not even listed on Ball State's roster on the school's athletics Web site. He is also now the only undefeated Cardinal so far this season.
In doubles matches, seniors Jose Perdomo and Jorge Rodriguez lost 8-6. Freshman Andres Monroy and Eduardo Pavia lost 9-7, and sophomore Shaun Bussert and freshman Zane Smith lost 8-5.
"I thought we played better than the Illinois match, but still not where we need to be," Richards said. "You can't go out and fall behind early. ... You have to stay close and put pressure on your opponent, and in at least three matches we didn't do that."
Ball State moves to 1-2 on the year while Michigan is now 2-0. The Cardinals will have a chance to improve their record with a two-game homestand during the next two weeks.
"It's very early, we've played two matches against two quality opponents," Richards said. "We have some home weekend matches. We have a chance now to make more of a commitment to conditioning and weight training."
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