Ball State University Athletics
Saturday, January 31
South Bend, Ind.
4 pm
Ball State University
at
University of Notre Dame
Women’s Tennis Opens Spring Slate in South Bend This Weekend
January 30, 2026 | Women's Tennis
MUNCIE, Ind. - The Cardinals enter the spring campaign fueled by a historic fall performance from their top doubles tandem, juniors Sarah Shahbaz and Isabel Tanjuatco. The duo finished the fall with an impressive 13-1 record, capturing several major titles.
This momentum in doubles provides a critical anchor for a Ball State roster that features a blend of veteran leadership and fresh talent, including transfer Asia Fontana and freshman Priyanka Rana, who also secured international doubles titles prior to joining the program.
"The team is really looking forward to competing this weekend," Ball State head women's tennis coach Sachin Kirtane said. "I think the girls have done a great job in practice. They've been working hard and we are ready to get on the court to play Notre Dame. I think this team is gonna show a lot of growth here over the next few weeks and it's finally great to start the journey this weekend against Notre Dame and Navy.
The match at the Eck Tennis Pavilion marks the start of a challenging opening weekend for the Cardinals, who will also face Navy in South Bend on Sunday, February 1 after playing Notre Dame on Saturday at 4 pm ET.
Notre Dame enters the matchup with a 3-1 record for the 2026 season, having recently split matches during the ITA Kickoff Weekend. The Fighting Irish have historically held the advantage in this series, but the Cardinals' refined doubles play offers a strategic opportunity to secure the early point and set the tone for the dual match. The Fighting Irish lead the all-time series record over the Cardinals with a 9-0 ledger.
On Sunday, Ball State will face Navy for a 10 am ET first serve. The matchup against Navy will be the first all-time meeting between the
This momentum in doubles provides a critical anchor for a Ball State roster that features a blend of veteran leadership and fresh talent, including transfer Asia Fontana and freshman Priyanka Rana, who also secured international doubles titles prior to joining the program.
"The team is really looking forward to competing this weekend," Ball State head women's tennis coach Sachin Kirtane said. "I think the girls have done a great job in practice. They've been working hard and we are ready to get on the court to play Notre Dame. I think this team is gonna show a lot of growth here over the next few weeks and it's finally great to start the journey this weekend against Notre Dame and Navy.
The match at the Eck Tennis Pavilion marks the start of a challenging opening weekend for the Cardinals, who will also face Navy in South Bend on Sunday, February 1 after playing Notre Dame on Saturday at 4 pm ET.
Notre Dame enters the matchup with a 3-1 record for the 2026 season, having recently split matches during the ITA Kickoff Weekend. The Fighting Irish have historically held the advantage in this series, but the Cardinals' refined doubles play offers a strategic opportunity to secure the early point and set the tone for the dual match. The Fighting Irish lead the all-time series record over the Cardinals with a 9-0 ledger.
On Sunday, Ball State will face Navy for a 10 am ET first serve. The matchup against Navy will be the first all-time meeting between the
Players Mentioned
Women's Tennis // Izzy Tanjuatco on ITA Championships, MAC title, and growth
Thursday, January 29
Heart of the Cardinal Podcast // Guest: Izzy Tanjuatco of Women's Tennis
Thursday, January 29
Homecoming // Cardinal Sinners! Presented by Gameday Spirit
Friday, October 17
Women's Tennis // Shahbaz and Tanjuatco win MAC Indoor Doubles Championship
Friday, October 10