Ball State University Athletics
Men's Tennis Hosts Two MAC Matches
April 15, 2011 | Men's Tennis
MUNCIE, Ind. - The Ball State University men's tennis team will host Mid-American Conference rival Western Michigan Saturday and Chicago State Sunday, with both matches beginning at 1 p.m. at the Cardinal Creek Tennis Center weather permitting.
The Cardinals enter this weekend's contest with an overall record of 11-12 with a 1-1 league mark. Western Michigan is 12-10 overall and is undefeated in the MAC at 3-0. Chicago State has not won a match yet this season and sits at 0-17 overall and 0-3 in the MAC.
Ball State has won 19 MAC titles in program history, including 16 undefeated MAC seasons. Ball State has participated in the MAC for the last 31 years, claiming 34 regular season and/ or tournament championships. The legacy began in 1984 after the Cardinals posted a 19-5 overall record and an 8-0 stint in league play. Since the MAC tournament format started in 1997, the Cardinals have won the league tournament five times (1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005) and Western Michigan has won the conference tournament eight times (1999, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010).
A final rivalry side note to the story is head coach Bill Richards, who is in his 39th season as a Cardinal was a 1970 graduate of Western Michigan. Richards was a three-year letterwinner for the Broncos and a MAC Champion in both singles and doubles.
