Ball State University Athletics
Saturday, April 11
DeKalb, IL
TBA
Ball State University
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Northern Illinois University
Ball State Men’s Tennis Concludes Regular Season at Northern Illinois; Shifts Focus to MAC Tournament
April 11, 2026 | Men's Tennis
DEKALB, Ill. – The Ball State men's tennis team closed out its 2026 regular season campaign on Saturday afternoon, falling 4-1 in a hard-fought road contest against Northern Illinois. Despite a dominant individual performance at the bottom of the lineup, the Cardinals (10-11, 5-5 MAC) were unable to overcome a strong surge from the Huskies (17-7, 7-3 MAC) before inclement weather halted the remaining action.
The afternoon began with a competitive doubles round that ultimately swung in favor of the hosts. Northern Illinois secured the opening point of the match with victories on the top two courts. At the time the point was clinched, Ball State's No. 3 duo of Andrei Caragea and Jeremy Milette were locked in a 5-5 stalemate against NIU's Chiao Bo Sun Nan and Pratyaksh LNU, leaving that match unfinished.
In singles play, Nolan Hayward provided a massive spark for the Cardinals at the No. 6 position. Hayward put on a clinical performance, delivering a "double bagel" shutout by defeating his opponent 6-0, 6-0. The victory briefly pulled the Cardinals closer, but the Huskies responded by taking straight-set wins on courts No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 to secure the overall match victory.
With the regular season now in the books, Ball State officially turns its attention to the postseason. The Cardinals await their final seeding for the upcoming 2026 Mid-American Conference Tournament, hosted in Buffalo, N.Y.
The tournament is scheduled to begin with the semifinal round on Saturday, April 18, followed by the championship match on Sunday, April 19.
The afternoon began with a competitive doubles round that ultimately swung in favor of the hosts. Northern Illinois secured the opening point of the match with victories on the top two courts. At the time the point was clinched, Ball State's No. 3 duo of Andrei Caragea and Jeremy Milette were locked in a 5-5 stalemate against NIU's Chiao Bo Sun Nan and Pratyaksh LNU, leaving that match unfinished.
In singles play, Nolan Hayward provided a massive spark for the Cardinals at the No. 6 position. Hayward put on a clinical performance, delivering a "double bagel" shutout by defeating his opponent 6-0, 6-0. The victory briefly pulled the Cardinals closer, but the Huskies responded by taking straight-set wins on courts No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 to secure the overall match victory.
With the regular season now in the books, Ball State officially turns its attention to the postseason. The Cardinals await their final seeding for the upcoming 2026 Mid-American Conference Tournament, hosted in Buffalo, N.Y.
The tournament is scheduled to begin with the semifinal round on Saturday, April 18, followed by the championship match on Sunday, April 19.
Players Mentioned
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Monday, March 30
Heart of the Cardinal Podcast // A lifetime of history with Bill Richards
Thursday, March 19
Sports Link: The Hayward Bros (Tennis)
Wednesday, February 25
Men's Tennis // Match Point Win vs. IU East
Tuesday, January 27