FORT WAYNE, Ind. ? The nationally-ranked and regular season champion Western Michigan men's tennis team came from behind to defeat Ball State, 4-3, in the championship match of the 2007 Mid-American Conference Tournament on Saturday afternoon in Fort Wayne, Ind., at IPFW.
The No. 54 Broncos (18-7) have now won back-to-back MAC Tournaments for the first time in school history and advance to the NCAA Tournament for a second straight year and the fifth time in school history. WMU will enter the NCAA Tournament on an 11-match winning streak.
“It feels fantastic to win back-to-back MAC Tournaments,” WMU head coach Dave Morin said. “I'm just extremely proud of the guys. It's tough to beat your rival three times. We played them in the fall at Notre Dame and then we had to beat them at their place and then beat them again here.
“I thought Ball State played exceptional doubles and very good in the singles, too. We feel fortunate to beat a very good Ball State team that we respect tremendously. I think (BSU head coach) Bill (Richards) did a great job of getting the most out of his guys this year.”
The Cardinals (11-14) were on the verge of victory before the Broncos stormed back to win in dramatic fashion. Ball State was up 3-2 in the match and WMU's John Pelton was down a set at No. 5 singles and trailing 5-4 and 15-30 hitting his second serve. Pelton fought back to win the game and then the set, 7-5, to keep the Broncos alive.
Shortly after Pelton forced a third set at No. 5, WMU's Alex Birchmeier completed a comeback of his own at No. 4 with a 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-1 win over Bret Berryman to even the match at 3-3. Birchmeier was down 4-1 in the first set before storming back to force the first set tiebreaker. Despite the loss in the breaker, Birchmeier continued to play well and dropped only three games to win the final two sets and earn all-tournament team honors.
“I was trying to focus on my own court and do my thing, but also support John (Pelton) in what he was doing too, cause I knew it was close over there,” Birchmeier said. “I hadn't won a third set all year, so I knew I needed to change that around. I took that first set and put it behind me and didn't think about it and really just started going after my shots and everything started going in and that was helpful.”
“I think Birchmeier played the best match I've seen him play this year,” Morin said. “He was going big after his shots and playing fearless tennis. Birch was going out aggressive and hitting the ball big and fighting hard. I think he really set the tone down the stretch.”
The match then came down to a pair of Michigan natives, Pelton and Joe Vallee, at No. 5 singles. Pelton broke Vallee in the first game of the set, but Vallee broke back and then held serve to take a 2-1 lead.
Pelton was in a similar situation trailing 2-1 in the third set on Feb. 24 against Iowa with the match on the line. In that match, he won the next five games to give WMU the 4-3 victory.
History repeated itself in the MAC Championships as Pelton held serve to even the match at two-all and then won the next four games to give the Broncos the dramatic come-from-behind victory and earn MAC All-Tournament Team honors.
“Being the last one out there is kind of nerve-wracking, but exciting because you have the whole team watching you and cheering you on.” Pelton said. “I was really pumped up after winning the second set. I knew (Birchmeier) was doing well, so I was happy to get things rolling and (Vallee) was struggling a little bit and cramping up, so I was feeling good going into the third set and felt the momentum was swinging in my direction.”
“Pelton, what can you say about the guy? The guy's a winner,” Morin said. “I think he only lost three times last year and he came up big against Iowa and then he comes up big against Ball State.”
Ball State took control early by winning 8-2 at No. 1 doubles and 8-3 at No. 2 doubles. They then won four of the six first sets in singles to take control of the match.
The Broncos were in control in the two matches where they won the first set. Kevin Hayward defeated Jarrod Epkey 6-2, 6-2 at No. 3 singles and Bryan Norville won 6-3, 6-4 over Jimmy Brannon at No. 6 to give the Broncos a short-lived lead, 2-1.
About 20 minutes later, Joe Epkey defeated Tim Bradshaw at No. 1 singles 7-5, 7-5 and moments after that, Jose Perdomo defeated Brady Crosby 7-6 (7), 6-4 at No. 2 to put Ball State on the verge of the upset victory before Birchmeier and Pelton completed their comebacks to give WMU its second straight MAC Tournament championship.
“I thought Ball State had the momentum for most of the match until the end,” Morin said. “We were really fighting an uphill battle 80 percent of the time. I think that's what makes it extra special that we came back and won. You recruit character and I think character shines through in the toughest moments. When we lose four of the first six sets in singles it really looked like we were dead in the water, but I don't think the guys ever gave up.”
Western Michigan advances to the 2007 NCAA Tournament and will find out its opponent during the NCAA Selection Show at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday on ESPNEWS. The Broncos will host a viewing party at Old Burdick's inside the Radisson in downtown Kalamazoo.
Tennis Match Results
Ball State vs Western Michigan
Apr 28, 2007 at Fort Wayne, Ind.
#54 Western Michigan 4, Ball State 3
Singles competition
1. Joe Epkey (BSU) def. Tim Bradshaw (WMU) 7-5, 7-5
2. Jose Perdomo (BSU) def. Brady Crosby (WMU) 7-6 (9-7), 6-4
3. Kevin Hayward (WMU) def. Jarrod Epkey (BSU) 6-2, 6-2
4. Alex Birchmeier (WMU) def. Bret Berryman (BSU) 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 6-1
5. John Pelton (WMU) def. Joe Vallee (BSU) 5-7, 7-5, 6-2
6. Bryan Norville (WMU) def. Jimmy Brannon (BSU) 6-3, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. Joe Epkey/Jose Perdomo (BSU) def. #47 Alex Birchmeier/Bryan Norville (WMU) 8-2
2. Jarrod Epkey/Jorge Rodriguez (BSU) def. Tim Bradshaw/Kevin Hayward (WMU) 8-3
3. Brady Crosby/John Pelton (WMU) vs. Bret Berryman/Joe Vallee (BSU) 7-3, unfinished
Match Notes:
Ball State 11-14
Western Michigan 18-7; National ranking #54
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (3,6,1,2,4,5)
2007 MAC Tournament championship match
WMU wins second straight MAC Tournament and advances to 2007 NCAA Tournament
MAC All-Tournament Team WMU representatives: Alex Birchmeier & John Pelton
