Women’s Tennis Edged Out in Non-Conference Finale at Bellarmine

Saturday, March 7

Louisville, KY

12 pm

Ball State University

Bellarmine University

Photo by: Brayden Goins / Ball State Athletics

Women’s Tennis Edged Out in Non-Conference Finale at Bellarmine

March 07, 2026 | Women's Tennis

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Ball State women's tennis team concluded its non-conference road schedule Saturday afternoon with a hard-fought 4-2 loss to Bellarmine at the Eddie Weber Tennis Complex.

The Cardinals (7-4) entered the matchup following a dominant 6-1 victory over Western Kentucky earlier in the week but were unable to maintain that momentum against a resilient Knights squad in their first-ever meeting.

"It was a great match today," Ball State head women's tennis coach Sachin Kirtane said. "We fought hard. We kind of turned the match around after the doubles and gave ourselves a chance. I am proud of the girls for their effort, and we are looking forward to starting the Mid-American Conference season."

Asia Ting Fontana and Sydney Hrehor provided the lone bright spot in doubles for Ball State. Building on their recent chemistry—including a gritty 6-4 win earlier in the week against Western Kentucky - the pair once again delivered a victory to keep the Cardinals' hopes alive for the opening point after beating Lillie Willis and Gracie Hurley, 6-1 on court No. 2.

After dropping the doubles point, the Cardinals were forced to play from behind in singles. Although Priyanka Rana and Isabel Tanjuatco secured victories at the No. 2 and No. 3 positions, the Knights claimed three singles matches to clinch the overall win over Ball State.

Despite the setback, the Cardinals have shown significant growth throughout the spring, securing key wins over opponents such as Cincinnati, Dayton and Cornell. This match served as the final tune-up for the squad as they transition into the most critical portion of their schedule.

Ball State will now shift its focus toward conference action as they open league action on the road against Buffalo on Friday, March 13, at 12:00 p.m. ET.