Ball State University Athletics
Saturday, February 21
Ann Arbor, MI
11 am
Ball State University
0
at
7
University of Michigan
Photo by: Madeline Howell
Ball State Men’s Tennis Shows Grit in Road Loss to Wolverines
February 21, 2026 | Men's Tennis
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The Ball State Cardinals moved to 4-5 on the season following a 7-0 loss to Michigan (4-4) in Ann Arbor.
The afternoon began with a hard-fought double round where the Wolverines took an early 1-0 lead via wins on the lower courts. Highlighting the effort for Ball State was the top-flight duo of Drew Hayward and Jacks Lancaster, who were in the middle of a 5-4 thriller when their match was called.
Despite Michigan securing straight-set wins across all six courts, the Cardinals pushed the Wolverines in several tight battles. Drew Hayward headlined the effort at No. 3, nearly taking his opening set in a 7-5 loss, while Zack Kimelman forced a gritty second-set tiebreaker at the No. 5 spot before falling 7-6 to Pierce Shaya. Though the scoreboard favored Michigan, Ball State's persistence was evident as every player on the roster successfully put up games in every set.
Following today's match, the Cardinals will travel to La Jolla, California, for the Pacific Coast Doubles Championship beginning Feb. 26. Ball State will also compete in two separate dual matches against Pacific on (Feb. 26) and Villanova (Mar. 1).
The afternoon began with a hard-fought double round where the Wolverines took an early 1-0 lead via wins on the lower courts. Highlighting the effort for Ball State was the top-flight duo of Drew Hayward and Jacks Lancaster, who were in the middle of a 5-4 thriller when their match was called.
Despite Michigan securing straight-set wins across all six courts, the Cardinals pushed the Wolverines in several tight battles. Drew Hayward headlined the effort at No. 3, nearly taking his opening set in a 7-5 loss, while Zack Kimelman forced a gritty second-set tiebreaker at the No. 5 spot before falling 7-6 to Pierce Shaya. Though the scoreboard favored Michigan, Ball State's persistence was evident as every player on the roster successfully put up games in every set.
Following today's match, the Cardinals will travel to La Jolla, California, for the Pacific Coast Doubles Championship beginning Feb. 26. Ball State will also compete in two separate dual matches against Pacific on (Feb. 26) and Villanova (Mar. 1).
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