Ball State University
IU Indy
Men’s Tennis Defends the Nest against IU Indy, IU East
February 22, 2025 | Men's Tennis
MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball State men's tennis swept its Saturday doubleheader at the Northwest YMCA, collecting wins against in-state foes IU Indy and IU East. The Cardinals' pair of victories mark a rebound from a string of two consecutive 3-4 losses, and the red and white's season record now sits at 6-4.
In the first half of the twin bill, Ball State took the court against IU Indy, who entered the outing with an even 5-5 record. The Cardinals downed the Jaguars, 5-2, which extended the program's win streak in the series to 22 matches—a spurt of success dating back to 2004.
The doubles point was tightly contested, with two of the three courts advancing to a tiebreak. Drew Hayward and Nathaniel Webster at No. 2 doubles were the lone pair to win for the Cardinals, handing the opening point to IU Indy.
Despite the red and white's stumble in doubles and early 0-1 deficit, they rallied by winning five of the six positions in the singles lineup. Ball State secured courts one through five in straight sets, and the lone loss came at the No. 6 spot, where Jenson Bicanic and IU Indy's Vincent Nauta battled to three frames.
Following its win against IU Indy, Ball State earned its second victory of the day in commanding fashion against NAIA-member IU East. The Cardinals tamed the Red Wolves in a 7-0 decision.
Ball State enjoyed a fine start in doubles, taking the top two positions by 6-1 margins. Much of the same took place in singles action, as the Cardinals swept the five courts (IU East defaulted the No. 6 position) and lost just seven games in the process.
Broc Fletcher and Petar Petrovic, who teamed up at the No. 1 doubles position, each earned their first doubles wins of the 2025 campaign in the triumph against IU East, as did Jenson Bicanic at the two spot.
Next up for the Cardinals is an action-packed extended weekend in the San Diego area. Ball State is set to participate in the 136th Annual Pacific Coast Doubles Championship, a premier, doubles-only event hosted at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club that will run from Thursday, Feb. 27, through Sunday, March 2. After the invitational's conclusion, the red and white will stay in La Jolla for a match against Villanova at 3:30 p.m. (PST) on Sunday, March 2.
Doubles vs IU Indy
No. 1: Konner Gunwall/Nate Day (IU Indy) def. Jacks Lancaster/Mason Tran (Ball State), 7-6(9)
No. 2: Nathaniel Webster/Drew Hayward (Ball State) def. Kamil Kozerski/Noah Viste (IU Indy), 7-6(5)
No. 3: Will Thurin/Steven Paz (IU Indy) def. Ian Brady/Anthony Shalakov (Ball State), 7-5
Singles vs IU Indy
No. 1: Nathaniel Webster (Ball State) def. Kamil Kozerski (IU Indy), 6-3, 6-4
No. 2: Jacks Lancaster (Ball State) def. Steven Paz (IU Indy), 6-3, 6-0
No. 3: Mason Tran (Ball State) def. Eli Mercer (IU Indy), 6-2, 6-3
No. 4: Sajin Smith (Ball State) def. Pumiphat Sukkho (IU Indy), 6-3, 6-3
No. 5: Drew Hayward (Ball State) def. Will Thurin (IU Indy), 6-4, 6-2
No. 6: Vincent Nauta (IU Indy) def. Jenson Bicanic (Ball State), 6-2, 6(1)-7, 10-7
Doubles vs IU East
No. 1: Broc Fletcher/Petar Petrovic (Ball State) def. Kyle Hollingsworth/Jace Wilkerson (IU East), 6-1
No. 2: Jenson Bicanic/Anthony Shalakov (Ball State) def. Sachin Vanaraja/Bryce Wennen (IU East), 6-1
No. 3: Default
Singles vs. IU East:
No. 1: Jenson Bicanic (Ball State) def. Kyle Hollingsworth (IU East), 6-0, 6-1
No. 2: Petar Petrovic (Ball State) def. Sachin Vanaraja (IU East), 6-1, 6-3
No. 3: Broc Fletcher (Ball State) def. Jace Wilkerson (IU East), 6-1, 6-0
No. 4: Anthony Shalakov (Ball State) def. Bryce Wennen (IU East), 6-1, 6-0
No. 5: Ian Brady (Ball State) def. Clay Conner (IU East), 6-0, 6-0
No. 6: Default
Players Mentioned
