MUNCIE, INDIANA. — After a rough start to begin conference play, Ball State Men’s Tennis got a needed win over Northern Illinois.
Head coach Bill Richards talks about the importance of performing well within the conference.
“Today was extremely important for us to stay in the conference race. To earn one of the four spots in the conference tournament, so it was great that our guys responded the way they did,” Richards said.
The Cardinals improved their conference record to 1-2 on the year and handed the Northern Illinois Huskies their first conference loss.
Richards reflects on the strength of conference opponents as the team looks to gain momentum.
“Our conference is very tough. We played 10 conference matches. We could win every one, or we could lose every one. There is so much balance in our league,” Richards said.
The team’s mentality for future matches is simple.
“One match at a time. We can beat everyone in the league, we can lose to anyone. We’ve got this really tough trip to New York now,” Richards said.
The Cardinals hit the road for the next three weeks that include rematches at Toledo, Western Michigan, and Northern Illinois. Ball State will look to continue performing well as the season progresses.
“Everyone’s goal is to win a conference championship…You always want to win everything and perform as well as you can in any match for us. That’s all secondary to the conference,” Richards said.
The Cardinals have sights set on the Mid-American Conference Tournament that is set to take place April 22 and 23 in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Contact Jake Garcia with comments at jaycob.garcia@bsu.edu
