Men’s Tennis Wraps up Play at James O’Connell Memorial Tournament
September 28, 2025 | Men's Tennis
MASON, Ohio - The Ball State men's tennis team wrapped up it three-day weekend at the James O'Connell Memorial Tournament which was hosted by Dayton and Northern Kentucky at the Linder Family Tennis Center.
"Our first fall tournament was a success after three days of playing a ton of matches and improving with each one," Ball State head men's tennis coach Gene Orlando said. "It was an awesome experience to compete at the Linder Family Tennis Center home of the Cincinnati Open. The opportunity to play on the same courts as the best players in the world was a cool experience for our team. We have work to do but we are up for the challenge."
Freshman Nolan Hayward who made his collegiate debut stood out for the Cardinals on Friday after going 2-0 in singles posting a 6-4, 3-6, 10-6 victory versus Xavier's Lucas Grossman. He also defeated Butler's Nicholas Balthazar by a 2-6, 7-5, 10-7 decision.
Throughout the weekend, Ball State veteran Jacks Lancaster became an impact player as he ended the tournament with a 2-1 singles mark along with a 2-2 doubles ledger alongside partner Andrei Caragei.
With a lot of new faces on the court for Ball State, Zach Kimmelman went .500 in both singles (2-2) and doubles (2-2) play over the three-day span.
The team played a combined 45 matches in singles and doubles this weekend.
The Ball State men's tennis team continues fall action when it competes at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Ohio Valley Regional at Purdue University from Oct. 9-12 in West Lafayette, Ind.
"Our first fall tournament was a success after three days of playing a ton of matches and improving with each one," Ball State head men's tennis coach Gene Orlando said. "It was an awesome experience to compete at the Linder Family Tennis Center home of the Cincinnati Open. The opportunity to play on the same courts as the best players in the world was a cool experience for our team. We have work to do but we are up for the challenge."
Freshman Nolan Hayward who made his collegiate debut stood out for the Cardinals on Friday after going 2-0 in singles posting a 6-4, 3-6, 10-6 victory versus Xavier's Lucas Grossman. He also defeated Butler's Nicholas Balthazar by a 2-6, 7-5, 10-7 decision.
Throughout the weekend, Ball State veteran Jacks Lancaster became an impact player as he ended the tournament with a 2-1 singles mark along with a 2-2 doubles ledger alongside partner Andrei Caragei.
With a lot of new faces on the court for Ball State, Zach Kimmelman went .500 in both singles (2-2) and doubles (2-2) play over the three-day span.
The team played a combined 45 matches in singles and doubles this weekend.
The Ball State men's tennis team continues fall action when it competes at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Ohio Valley Regional at Purdue University from Oct. 9-12 in West Lafayette, Ind.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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