Ball State University Athletics
Friday, April 17
DeKalb, IL
1 pm
Ball State University
2
at
5
Northern Illinois University
Photo by: Brayden Goins / Ball State Athletics
Cardinals Fall in Hard-Fought Road Battle at Northern Illinois
April 17, 2026 | Women's Tennis
DEKALB, Ill. – Despite a strong showing in both singles and doubles, the Ball State women's tennis team (9-9, 2-5 MAC) dropped a 5-2 decision to Northern Illinois (16-8, 2-6 MAC) on Friday afternoon.
The highlight of the day came at the top of the lineup, where the No. 1 doubles pair of Isabel Tanjuatco and Sarah Shahbaz continued their conference dominance with a 6-3 victory. However, the Huskies managed to clinch the doubles point with wins on courts two and three.
In singles play, Asia Fontana displayed grit at the No. 3 spot, outlasting NIU's Theodora Kousiou in a three-set thriller (6-3, 5-7, 6-4). Tanjuatco added a second point for the Cardinals at the No. 4 position, fighting back for a 6-1, 5-4, 1-0 (10-4) victory over Jenna Horne. While the Huskies secured the overall match with wins on the remaining courts, the Cardinals remained competitive until the final serve.
Ball State returns home to Muncie this Sunday to host rival Miami (OH) for the regular-season finale at noon. The match is scheduled for the Foster Adams Family Tennis Complex, with First Serve Muncie serving as the indoor backup. Prior to the match the Cardinals will also recognize their lone senior, Asia Fontana.
The highlight of the day came at the top of the lineup, where the No. 1 doubles pair of Isabel Tanjuatco and Sarah Shahbaz continued their conference dominance with a 6-3 victory. However, the Huskies managed to clinch the doubles point with wins on courts two and three.
In singles play, Asia Fontana displayed grit at the No. 3 spot, outlasting NIU's Theodora Kousiou in a three-set thriller (6-3, 5-7, 6-4). Tanjuatco added a second point for the Cardinals at the No. 4 position, fighting back for a 6-1, 5-4, 1-0 (10-4) victory over Jenna Horne. While the Huskies secured the overall match with wins on the remaining courts, the Cardinals remained competitive until the final serve.
Ball State returns home to Muncie this Sunday to host rival Miami (OH) for the regular-season finale at noon. The match is scheduled for the Foster Adams Family Tennis Complex, with First Serve Muncie serving as the indoor backup. Prior to the match the Cardinals will also recognize their lone senior, Asia Fontana.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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