Ball State University Athletics
Kaplan’s Win Clinches MAC Regular Season Title For Women’s Tennis
April 24, 2022 | Women's Tennis
MUNCIE, Ind. - - In a match that went down to the wire on the final court, the Ball State women's tennis team (17-4, 8-2 MAC) defeated Eastern Michigan (15-16, 3-7 MAC) by a score of 4-3 to claim the program's fourth Mid-American Conference regular season championship in the past six years.
With the match score tied at 3-3, the MAC title came down to the shoulders of junior Amy Kaplan at No. 2 singles. After dropping a close opening game, 6-4, Kaplan responded with a resounding 6-0 win over EMU's Sabina Brichackova in the second.
The third was everything you would expect in a battle for the match and a MAC title, with Kaplan fighting to a 7-6 (5) tiebreaker victory to clinch the title.
With the win, the Cardinals earned back-to-back MAC regular season titles for the second time under head coach Max Norris after also claiming the crown last season. Norris has guided the program to all four of its MAC regular season championships (2016, 2017, 2021 and 2022) and to its only MAC Tournament Championship (2016), along with two trips to the NCAA Tournament (2016 and 2021).
Sunday's match opened with a tightly contested doubles point. Ball State started on a high note after taking court one from Eastern Michigan as Hannah Davies paired up with Kaplan to earn a 6-3 decision over EMU's Brichackova and Prerna Vichare.
Unfortunately, the tables then quickly turned as the Eagles won on the final two doubles courts to earn a 1-0 edge over Ball State headed into singles action.
The Cardinals were able to even the match quickly, however as Livia Lukacs breezed through her match at the No. 3 position winning in straight sets over Isabelle Popma, 6-1, 6-0.
Eastern Michigan briefly reclaimed the lead with a win at the No. 5 slot before the Cardinals knotted the score once again after Isabelle Behrman took down Julia Piatek at position No. 6 by a score of 6-2, 6-1.
With three courts remaining, Davies gave Ball State its first lead of the match as she beat Luisa Pelayo on the top court, 6-4, 6-3.
The deciding point came down to positions two and four with Emily Desai in the fight of her life on court four. She dropped the first set but came back after being down to take a 5-4 edge in the second against Emma-Lou Pommiers. She could not maintain the momentum, however, dropping the next two games to lose the second frame, 7-5.
With the score knotted at 3-3, cue Kaplan's heroics which sparked a jubilant celebration from the Ball State faithful.
The Ball State women's tennis team will be the top seed in next weekend's 2022 Mid-American Conference Tournament (April 30-May 1) which will be played at the Cardinal Creek Tennis Center, weather permitting. The bad weather site will be the Muncie Northwest YMCA.
Players Mentioned
