After a loss to then No. 34 ranked University of Kentucky, Ball State University's men's tennis team is set to play its third Big Ten opponent of the year.
The Cardinals are going into the match with the same energy level they had against Kentucky, even though Purdue University is an unranked in-state team.
"We have a very demanding schedule," coach Bill Richards said. "[We are] not going into the match any different from Kentucky. [We are just thinking,] get a win."
Since the players have had a team meeting and sported their new mohawk haircuts, the Cardinals are more focused on winning and playing to the best of their abilities, sophomore Jimmy Brannon said.
"It was hard to get through practice everyday and to keep going at 100 percent, but now everybody is pumped up," Brannon said.
This week's practices have been oriented on specific plays, Richards said. The team has also been preparing by working on drills that emphasize a different skill that team members said they needed to work on.
Since tennis focuses more on individual play, each person has something they can improve on. Richards said that was the reason practices do not change from week to week.
"Every player has something to work on," he said. "[The purpose of practice] is to establish a good base play, so everyone is prepared to have a game at a high level."
Brannon has stepped up and helped contribute to the Cardinals' 3-4 record. The sophomore was red shirted in the 2004 fall season after an upper arm injury. In the 2006 fall season, he posted a 3-4 singles record.
"I'm real happy to play again," Brannon said. "[Saturday] I beat Kentucky, and that really boosted my confidence."
Now that the Cardinals know they can compete on a high level they are ready for the rest of their opponents.
"We had a pretty good performance against Kentucky," junior Aaron Phillips said. "We came pretty close to beating them. We doubted ourselves going into the game, but now we know we can play at that level."
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