The Ball State University men's tennis team welcomes any challenge to play nationally ranked teams, even in the midst of its conference season.
Ball State will take on the University of Notre Dame today at 3 p.m. in South Bend.
Notre Dame comes into the match ranked 36th in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll but has lost its last three matches.
"This match is a win-win situation for us," freshman Dalton Albertin said. "If we win it will be a big upset for us looking to Saturday, and if we lose it is good that we got it now instead of in conference. The whole team is feeling good right now, and we are on a roll."
After picking up two wins against Mid-American Conference opponents the last two weeks, Ball State seems as poised as ever to pull off another upset.
Coach Bill Richards said this match is more than just another chance to surprise an opponent. It will be another chance for his team to raise their level of play and gauge themselves against good competition. It will also be an opportunity to try out new combinations in his doubles lineup.
Doubles will be the key moving forward. Despite winning their last two matches, the Cardinals have done so without coming through in doubles. The last time the team won the doubles point was their March 20 matchup against Butler University.
Looking ahead to a weekend matchup with conference opponent the University at Buffalo, the Cardinals would love to have a ranked win heading into the match.
"You can't look ahead to Buffalo or back to Western Michigan during this match," Richards said. "You don't want to back down after a good win, so we could play really bad if we get caught in that trap. It will depend totally on our approach on this match that is not in conference."
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