Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
#1 Buffalo (MAC Tournament Semifinals)
Fourth-Seeded Cardinals Set for Semifinal Clash Against Top-Seeded Buffalo at MAC Tournament
April 17, 2026 | Men's Tennis
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The fourth-seeded Ball State men's tennis team (10-11, 5-5 MAC) is set to open the 2026 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Men's Tennis Championship this Saturday, April 18, against the tournament host and top seed, Buffalo. The semifinal match is scheduled for a 10:00 a.m. ET first serve at either the UB Tennis Courts or the Miller Tennis Center, depending on weather conditions.
The Cardinals clinched the final spot in the tournament field following a pivotal road victory at UIC earlier this month. Ball State enters the postseason led by head coach Gene Orlando, who is in his first season at the helm of his alma mater.
Ball State and Buffalo split their regular-season series in 2025, but the Bulls took both matches in 2026. Their most recent meeting on March 28 was a narrow 4-3 decision in favor of Buffalo.
In 2014, Ball State clinched its most recent MAC Tournament title with a 4-3 victory over Buffalo at the Cardinal Creek Tennis Center. Since the tournament's inception in 1997, the Cardinals have secured the championship seven times (1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2011, and 2014). Overall, the program boasts an impressive legacy of 38 combined MAC tournament and regular-season titles.
The winner of Saturday's semifinal will advance to the MAC Championship match on Sunday, April 19, to face the winner of the second semifinal between No. 2 Western Michigan and No. 3 Northern Illinois.
