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Resilient Cardinals Shine with Power Four Victories at Big Blue Invitational
September 20, 2026 | Women's Tennis
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Ball State women's tennis team delivered a gritty and inspired performance this weekend, wrapping up a stellar three-day run at the University of Kentucky's prestigious Big Blue Invitational.
Facing an elite field, the Cardinals repeatedly rose to the challenge, showcasing their depth and capturing high-stakes victories over multiple Power Four programs.
"We had a tremendous tournament, and I am incredibly proud of how hard everyone competed," Ball State head women's tennis coach Sachin Kirtane said. "We went toe-to-toe in a lot of very tough matches, highlighted by marquee wins over SEC and ACC opponents like Kentucky and Virginia Tech. The effort and heart the team showed was fantastic, and it gives us great momentum as we look to keep improving before heading to the Indiana Invitational in a couple of weeks."
The weekend kicked off in thrilling fashion on Friday with a dominant showing in doubles action. The dynamic duo of Sydney Hrehor and Priyanka Rana set the tone, going undefeated on day one with a perfect 2-0 ledger. They opened with a hard-fought 7-6 (0) tiebreaker victory over Eastern Kentucky's Uta Asakura and Niyati Kukreti, before cruising to a 6-3 win against Bellarmine's Katarzyna Kliber and Lilly Muraske. On the singles court, Anya Tkachyk displayed immense resilience, battling back from a set down to secure a three-set thriller over EKU's Kukreti, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.
The momentum surged into Saturday as Hrehor and Rana stayed red-hot, elevating their perfect weekend doubles record to 3-0 with a commanding 6-4 triumph over Nikola Kollaritsch and Alice Brook. In singles, Gabby Barrera engineered a stunning Power Four upset, roaring back to dominate Virginia Tech's Laima Frosch in a 5-7, 6-2, 6-0 masterpiece. Inspired by her teammate's success, Rana followed suit with another brilliant ACC victory, outlasted the Hokies' Lamija Avdic in a grueling 6-1, 6-7(6), 6-3 battle.
Barrera and Rana put the exclamation point on the tournament Sunday, wrapping up their singles campaigns on the highest of notes by securing definitive individual victories over opponents from Kentucky and Bellarmine, respectively.
The Cardinals will now enjoy a well-deserved period of rest and training before returning to action at Indiana University on Friday, Oct. 2.
Facing an elite field, the Cardinals repeatedly rose to the challenge, showcasing their depth and capturing high-stakes victories over multiple Power Four programs.
"We had a tremendous tournament, and I am incredibly proud of how hard everyone competed," Ball State head women's tennis coach Sachin Kirtane said. "We went toe-to-toe in a lot of very tough matches, highlighted by marquee wins over SEC and ACC opponents like Kentucky and Virginia Tech. The effort and heart the team showed was fantastic, and it gives us great momentum as we look to keep improving before heading to the Indiana Invitational in a couple of weeks."
The weekend kicked off in thrilling fashion on Friday with a dominant showing in doubles action. The dynamic duo of Sydney Hrehor and Priyanka Rana set the tone, going undefeated on day one with a perfect 2-0 ledger. They opened with a hard-fought 7-6 (0) tiebreaker victory over Eastern Kentucky's Uta Asakura and Niyati Kukreti, before cruising to a 6-3 win against Bellarmine's Katarzyna Kliber and Lilly Muraske. On the singles court, Anya Tkachyk displayed immense resilience, battling back from a set down to secure a three-set thriller over EKU's Kukreti, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.
The momentum surged into Saturday as Hrehor and Rana stayed red-hot, elevating their perfect weekend doubles record to 3-0 with a commanding 6-4 triumph over Nikola Kollaritsch and Alice Brook. In singles, Gabby Barrera engineered a stunning Power Four upset, roaring back to dominate Virginia Tech's Laima Frosch in a 5-7, 6-2, 6-0 masterpiece. Inspired by her teammate's success, Rana followed suit with another brilliant ACC victory, outlasted the Hokies' Lamija Avdic in a grueling 6-1, 6-7(6), 6-3 battle.
Barrera and Rana put the exclamation point on the tournament Sunday, wrapping up their singles campaigns on the highest of notes by securing definitive individual victories over opponents from Kentucky and Bellarmine, respectively.
The Cardinals will now enjoy a well-deserved period of rest and training before returning to action at Indiana University on Friday, Oct. 2.
Players Mentioned
Thursday, August 27
Thursday, August 27
Monday, August 24
Wednesday, August 19