Match details
Where: Muncie YMCA Tennis Center
When: 2 p.m.
After a Mid-American Conference championship-winning 2016, the Ball State women’s tennis team get their 2017 home campaign underway Jan. 29 against Dayton, as they look to build upon last weekend’s solid start to the season.
The Cardinals left North Carolina last weekend with a record of 2-1. After a 7-0 loss to No. 2 North Carolina, they bounced back, winning 7-0 and 6-1 against North Carolina Central University and UNC-Greensboro.
Carmen Blanco was the only one in the team to have lost her singles match (6-2 6-2) in the tie against UNC-Greensboro. But head coach Max Norris decided to take the positives out of Blanco's loss. He attributed it to her just having “a bad day mentally."
“I’d rather someone be like that," Norris said. "Where they can’t get out of their own way, thinking too much and thinking about themselves. It also means in other situations maybe they’re having a good day and their teammates are having a bad day. It’s not going to affect them."
Looking ahead, Norris believes this year's Dayton team is “the best they’ve ever had," having seen them play in a hidden duel at the University of Cincinnati last fall.
“For us though, we’re really trying to focus on ourselves," Norris said. "I think they’re going to give us a good match and we’re excited for that.”
Dayton had contrasting fortunes last weekend, losing 4-3 away to Wright State. However, Norris emphasized that at these early stages of the year, all he wants to see are the players getting better and better as the weeks go on.
“Obviously, you hope to win, but it’s kind of the same thing we tell our players," he said. "If you only care about winning and every time there’s a big point and someone serves it to your forehand, you just slice your forehand, you’re never going to get any better because that’s all you’re doing when you get nervous.”
Norris said it's important for all of the players on the team to be developing all the way throughout the season.
“I think it’s important to develop everyone on the team and make them understand that they can help at any time," he siad.
First serve will be at 2 p.m. Jan. 29 at the Muncie YMCA Tennis Center.
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