Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
University of the Pacific
Ball State Men’s Tennis Edged by Pacific in 4-3 Heartbreaker to Open Spring Break Trip
February 26, 2026 | Men's Tennis
LA JOLLA, Calif. – Despite taking an early lead, the Ball State men's tennis team (4-5) suffered a narrow 4-3 defeat to the University of the Pacific (5-4) on Thursday morning to kick off their annual spring break campaign at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club.
"We battled for four hours in a match that went the distance, and while we had our chances, we just couldn't close it out," Ball State men's tennis coach Gene Orlando said. "Now, it's back to the grind; we're confident these narrow defeats will build the grit we need for conference play."
Shuffling the deck paid off for Ball State in doubles play. Andrei Caragea and Nolan Hayward clicked instantly on court three, breezing past Nico Rating and Hasith Gummuluru 6-2. Although the Tigers managed to even the score with a win at the No. 2 position, the tandem of Drew Hayward and Jacks Lancaster slammed the door shut, securing the opening point with a gritty 7-5 victory.
Ball State surged early in singles play, capturing opening sets on four of the six courts. Broc Fletcher provided a spark with a straight-sets victory at the No. 6 position, while Pacific countered with a straight-sets win at No. 2.
The match ultimately transformed into a marathon, with the remaining four courts pushed to decisive third sets. Caragea secured a hard-fought three-set win at No. 3, but the Tigers narrowly claimed the final points in a contest that truly could have gone either way.
The Cardinals remain in La Jolla for the remainder of the week to compete in the prestigious Pacific Coast Doubles Championship, which runs through Sunday, March 1. Ball State will then conclude its training camp trip with a dual match against Villanova before returning home to begin Mid-American Conference (MAC) play.
Doubles
- Drew Hayward and Jacks Lancaster (BSU) def. Jonty Giesen and Terence Das (PAC), 7-5
- Niv Zuckerman and Reuben De Klerk (PAC) def. Anthony Shalakov and Jenson Bicancic (BSU), 6-3
- Andrei Caragea and Nolan Hayward (BSU) def. Nico Rating and Hasith Gummuluru (PAC), 6-2
Singles
- Jonty Giesen (PAC) def. Jacks Lancaster (BSU), 4-6, 6-4, 6-1
- Terence Das (PAC) def. Drew Hayward (BSU), 6-4, 6-2
- Andrei Caragea (BSU) def. Nico Rating (PAC), 3-6, 6-3, 7-5
- Reuben De Klerk (PAC) def. Jeremy Milette (BSU), 4-6, 6-4, 6-1
- Niv Zuckerman (PAC) def. Zack Kimelman (BSU), 3-6, 6-3, 7-6
- Broc Fletcher (BSU) def. Hasith Gummuluru (PAC), 6-2, 6-1
Players Mentioned
