On Friday afternoon, freshman Courtney Wild made her teammates wait long after their matches had already finished to go home. Wild was still playing her match against Western Michigan's Nini Sujashvili more than two hours after beginning it.
However, her team didn't mind the wait as she ended up with the victory in three sets, 6-3, 1-6, 7-5.
Also on Friday, senior Sarah Hebble lost to Western Michigan 6-3, 6-1. With another match against Bowling Green just 24 hours away, Hebble decided to take the time to regroup. She talked to her teammates about her game, and told herself that she was going to play "her way" and not let her opponent dictate the match.
Hebble certainly achieved her goal on Saturday, as she beat Bowling Green's Katie Grubb 6-3, 6-1.
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, those two wins would be the only ones that Ball State would get on the weekend, as it lost 6-1 in both matches.
Against the Broncos, the Cardinals lost the doubles point after the No. 2 and No. 3 teams lost. The No. 1 doubles team of Wild and freshman Ashlyn Rang beat Western Michigan 8-3.
"Going in, I thought I had a lot of energy today. I wanted to get up early today in both singles and doubles, and I was really pumped about winning doubles because I hadn't won doubles in a long time," Wild said. "I think that carried over into singles. I came out swinging in the first set, and the girl came right back. In the third set, I barely pulled it out, but it works."
Senior Dena Boulieris' match against Western Michigan went into a third set, but she lost to Caroline Aleck 4-6, 6-2, 10-8.
The Cardinals will be at home again for another conference match at 1 p.m. on Saturday against Northern Illinois.
Against Bowling Green, Ball State was swept in doubles, and was put into an early hole.
Sophomore Kristel Sanders lost to Emily Reuland 6-2, 6-2.
Despite the losses, Hebble said she believes there were still positives to the weekend.
"It's not like we played bad," Hebble said. "It's not like we beat ourselves."
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