Ball State University Athletics
Women's Tennis Sweep MAC Weekly Honors After Thrilling Weekend Victories
February 23, 2026 | Women's Tennis
CLEVELAND, Ohio. – Following a weekend defined by clutch performances and dominant doubles play, the Mid-American Conference announced Monday that Ball State senior Asia Ting Fontana has been named Singles Player of the Week, while the duo of Sarah Shahbaz and Isabel Tanjuatco earned Doubles Team of the Week honors.
Ting Fontana was the definition of "clutch" for the Cardinals, single-handedly securing the match point in two hard-fought victories. Her week was headlined by an incredible display of composure against Cincinnati, where she battled through a grueling three-set thriller to clinch the 4-3 team win.
Just days later, Fontana repeated the feat against Cornell, once again delivering the decisive blow under pressure. By winning the clinching point in back-to-back matches, Fontana proved to be the heartbeat of the Cardinals' lineup and the ultimate finisher when the match was on the line.
The Cardinals' top-seeded duo of Shahbaz and Tanjuatco set an aggressive tone for the weekend. The pair ignited a 4-3 team upset by delivering a flawless 6-0 shutout victory over Cincinnati's No. 1 pair, Rozalia Gruszczynska and Anastasia Arsic.
The twosome closed out the weekend by helping Ball State defeat No. 69 Cornell 4-1 on Sunday. The pair remained perfect on the year (5-0) following a swift 6-1 dismantling of Sage Loudon and Dylan Gelber. This week's performance continues a dominant non-conference stretch that includes critical wins against Power 5 programs like Notre Dame.
Shahbaz and Tanjuatco currently hold a top 100 national ranking, recently listed at No. 87 in the ITA Women's National Doubles Rankings.
Ball State continues its spring campaign with momentum as they head into the heart of their schedule.
