The Ball State men’s tennis team competed in the University of Texas Invitational over the weekend.
Coach Bill Richards helped to set the scene when he spoke about the summer-like weather in Austin, Texas, over the weekend.
“It was a great experience,” Richards said. “And a good way to end the season.”
The tournament, hosted by Texas, began with a draw of 32 players.
The A draw kicked off with senior Cliff Morrison, who was defeated in his first-round match against Dane Webb of Oklahoma University, 6-2, 6-4. Senior Dalton Albertin also fell in the first round to Sudanwa Sitaram of Texas, 5-7, 6-1 (6-2). Senior Ray Leonard fell as well, to Andrew Korinek of Texas, 6-1, 6-3.
The Cardinals were more successful in the single’s B draw where Austin Smith advanced all the way to the quarterfinal before losing to John Harrison Warden of Oklahoma.
In the double’s draw, Morrison and Patrick Elliott advanced to play against Oklahoma’s duo, where they were defeated. They took the defeat in stride though, Richards said, knowing the Oklahoma pairing swept the bracket.
“We didn’t win as many matches as we would have liked to,” Richards said.
The tournament featured several nationally ranked players, and Richards said he feels the high level of competition will help to raise the team’s level of play in the future.
The men’s team will resume play in the spring, beginning with a road match against Northwestern on Jan. 13.
