Ball State University
Vanderbilt University
Women’s Tennis Ends Successful Season At NCAA Tourney
May 07, 2021 | Women's Tennis
COLUMBUS, Ohio - - Facing one of the nation's elite programs, the Ball State women's tennis team did not give an inch Friday afternoon in its first round NCAA Tournament showdown against Vanderbilt at the AUER Tennis Courts on the Ohio State University campus.
Unfortunately, the Cardinals (22-4) could not overcome a 28th-ranked Commodores (14-9) squad looking to make its seventh straight trip to the round of 16, falling by a score of 4-0.
In its 26th overall NCAA Tournament appearance, including winning the 2015 national championship, Vanderbilt was able to jump out to an early 1-0 lead by winning at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles to secure the opening point. However, Ball State's Amy Kaplan and Emma Peeler had a 4-1 advantage over the nation's No. 28 doubles tandem of Anna Ross and Holly Staff on the top court when play was abandoned.
The 2021 Mid-American Conference champion Cardinals looked to battle back at singles, but despite close games and hard-fought points, Vanderbilt won on the top three courts (Order of Finish: 1,3,2) to secure the match victory.
The No. 2 singles spot was the closest of the three, as Ball State sophomore Jessica Braun battled Vanderbilt's Emma Krutz to a 6-4 opening set, before dropping the second set 6-2. Among the unfinished matches, senior Rebecca Herrington was in the midst of a comeback in the No. 4 slot against Anna Ross, rallying from losing the opening set 6-0 to taking the advantage in the second-set tiebreaker at 6-6 (7-8).
Overall, the Cardinals put up a good fight against the Commodores, winning 37 total games.
While the Cardinals were unable to secure the program's first NCAA Tournament win, it was still a successful campaign all around. Under the direction of eighth-year head coach Max Norris, the Cardinals earned the program's third MAC regular season championship in the past five conference seasons. The special year also featured a 22-match winning streak, along with the program's second ever berth to the NCAA Tournament both under Norris' tutelage.
In fact, Norris has guided the program to all three of its MAC regular season championships (2016, 2017 and 2021) and to its only MAC Tournament championship (2016).
Players Mentioned
