On paper, No. 23 Notre Dame was too fast and too powerful for Ball State to handle.
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, that assumption transferred to the court, as that's exactly what happened Saturday afternoon in the Northwest YMCA.
The Fighting Irish won 6-1, extending the Cardinals' losing streak to nine matches.
Notre Dame came in with three singles players ranked in the top 125 in the country and sent Ball State into a frenzy with its serves. Five of the six singles matches went to the Fighting Irish in straight sets.
There were some bright spots for the Cardinals, as sophomore Alexandre Brym won at No. 4 singles 4-6, 7-6 (9-7), 10-8.
"Coach told us to be in a state of mind to act like we had nothing to lose," Brym said. "I saw at some point in the second set that he was missing shots that he didn't miss in the first set. I was like, 'I might have a chance', so I just kept fighting."
Brym was the only Cardinal to win a set on the day.
Ball State drops to 8-11 on the season and will begin Mid-American Conference play Friday when its host Northern Illinois.
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