Heading into this week, the Ball State University men's tennis team was looking at two matches in four days. The team was a little banged up and physically worn down.
But after Wednesday's match against IPFW got postponed due to poor weather conditions, the team was able to get healed up and rested for today's home match against Illinois State University.
"The extra days helped us out from a physical standpoint," coach Bill Richards said. "Some guys needed it more than others, but we are ready to go now."
Ball State's Andres Monroy and Cliff Morrison have both been battling injuries and were probably only going to play in one of the two scheduled matches this week. Thanks to the layoff, Richards said they are both ready to go for Saturday.
"Both Andres and Cliff are doing a lot better and near 100 percent," Richards said. "They will both be playing [today]."
Conditioning has been another focus for the team of late. Richards said the team is still trying to get back into shape from Christmas Break.
"[I'm] seeing improvements in the conditioning is a process," Richards said. "Guys come back from break and are doing more than they're used to. Pretty soon they start to break down and then a recovery period starts. We are starting to see progress from their workload."
When it comes down to today's match, which begins at 1 p.m. at the Muncie Northwest YMCA Tennis Center, Richards feels it is up to the players to be ready and play their own game.
"My philosophy has always been if you play your own game, do your best, and have a great attitude that is always more important than what your opponent is doing," he said.
Read More
Ball State falls to Richmond, finishes 2-1 in Gulf Coast Showcase
By Zach Carter / 12 hours agoBall State fell to Richmond as the Cardinals finished the Gulf Coast Showcase 2-1 and now have an overall record of 3-5.
Wapahani defeats Muncie Central in season opener
By Zach Carter / YesterdayWapahani junior Camden Bell led the Raiders with 18 pointers as the red and white defeated Muncie Central 51-27.
Yorktown downs Delta 47-46 in thriller
By David Moore / YesterdayYorktown takes down Delta in rivalry thriller 47-46
