The men's tennis team faced three games in three days, and head coach Bill Richards said the team stepped up to the challenge.
The Cardinals (8-11 overall, 1-0 Mid-American Conference) posted three home victories over Louisville, Southern Illinois and MAC-rival Toledo.
With the victories, the team has won six of its last seven games after losing 10 in a row - all against top-70 opponents.
"It's been a tough year with the schedule being difficult," Richards said. "Even though the teams we've been playing are so good, losing does take some out of you. It was pretty simple. ... The team's we lost to just had better players."
After posting what Richards called the best win of the weekend over Louisville, the Cards played host to a doubleheader Saturday. In the end, however, the team posted the same results.
The match with Toledo served as the MAC season-opener for the Cardinals, and Richards said it was good for the team to get out and set the tone for the rest of the conference.
"It's really important to establish yourself as the favorite," Richards said. "It's not going to be an easy conference this year. Basically every game we play is going to be for the conference title."
Ball State - the defending MAC regular-season champs - fell behind the Rockets quickly after Toledo took advantage of inconsistencies in the Cardinals' doubles play.
"It was very disappointing to watch," Richards said. "Toledo had anything to gain and nothing to lose, and we came out flat. And once the doubles point came in question, we got tight and we didn't handle the pressure."
The team rebounded, winning all six of the singles matches, led by the play of its two seniors, Jason Pressel and Andrew Seni.
"Jason and Andrew are the veterans," Richards said. "The MAC season is basically a second season and we definitely need them to finish strong. This weekend was encouraging as both of them have been pretty inconsistent so far."
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