After finishing the Mid-American Conference season winless, the Ball State University women's tennis team will get a chance for redemption today.
Ball State (5-13, 0-8 Mid-American Conference) will play Northern Illinois University (6-15, 1-7 MAC) in the first round of the MAC Tournament at noon today in Bowling Green, Ohio. The Cardinals enter the matchup at the No. 9 seed-the lowest seed in the tournament - while the Huskies enter as the No. 8 seed.
When Ball State and Northern Illinois met earlier this year on March 20, which was the first game of the MAC season for both teams, the Huskies beat the Cardinals 4-3. In the previous meeting, Northern Illinois took the doubles point with wins at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles and also took three singles points with wins at the top three singles spots.
Sophomore Georgina Thomson said she thinks the Cardinals can beat the Huskies considering how close they played them during the regular season.
Six of Ball State's nine players are freshmen this year, meaning the match with Northern Illinois was its first time ever playing in the MAC.
Thomson said the Ball State players have grown a lot since their first meeting with Northern Illinois. The Cardinals' sophomore said she thinks Ball State has an advantage versus Northern Illinois as the Cardinals are a younger team than the Huskies, meaning their learning curve is steeper.
Against Northern Illinois, Ball State took its three singles victories in two sets. In No. 3 singles, freshman Kylee Johnson took her opponent to three sets - 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 - but lost in the closest match of the day.
Thomson said the key to a Ball State victory today will be pulling together and winning the doubles point. The Cardinals did not win a doubles point in MAC play this season.
Ball State last won a MAC Tournament match in 2005, a year in which it went 3-6 in conference play. In the past seven years, Ball State is 1-8 in the MAC Tournament.
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