Upsets do occur in sports, but that hasn't been the case for Ball State University's men's tennis team. Despite playing better than their previous matches with Big Ten Conference teams, the Cardinals still fell to Northwestern University 6-1 on Sunday. The defeat snaps Ball State's three-meet winning streak and moves them 4-3 this season.
"I think some of the positives are that we did get into the match," coach Bill Richards said. "On a negative side we didn't do some of the things needed to actually stay in there. I don't think we are far away, we are just lacking in a few of the intangible things right now."
Sophomore Eduardo Pavia scored the only point for the Cardinals with 7-6, 6-3 victory in No. 2 singles.
"He's just a great competitor." Richards said. "Eduardo showed tremendous fighting spirit and that's what carried him through."
Senior Jose Perdomo forced a third set tiebreaker in No. 1 singles before losing 5-7, 6-3, 7-10. The Cardinals were defeated in straight sets in the four other singles matches.
"We are going to have to get tougher," Richards said. "We just have to continue to come through close situations."
The close situations came in doubles action as Ball State had a chance to take two of the three matches to get the point. Pavia, teamed up with freshman Andres Monroy, came up short against Alex Sanborn and Joshua Graves 7-9. Sanborn and Graves are tied in the rankings for the No. 1 doubles tandem in the nation. Sophomore Shaun Bussert and freshman Zane Smith lost in another doubles match 8-9.
"If those doubles matches go another way you never know," Richards said. "It was kind of like missing the front end of a one-and-one in a basketball game down the stretch."
The Cardinals will get another chance to take down a Big Ten team when Michigan State University comes to Muncie on Saturday.
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