MUNCIE, Ind. - Casey Cullen teamed with Pablo Olivarez to break a record more than a quarter-century old, and the Western Michigan men's tennis team shut out Ball State 7-0 in a Mid-American Conference (MAC) match in Muncie on Saturday.  With the win, the Broncos improve to 13-10 overall, 4-0 in MAC play.

Cullen and Olivarez took the No. 2 doubles match 8-3, and in the process elevated Cullen to the top of list in WMU's doubles records book.  The doubles win was the 108th of Cullen's career, officially pushing him past R.J. Dunkle's career mark of 107 wins set in 1985.  Given the long, storied history of Broncos tennis - the first official season was 1923, and nine members of the men's tennis team are in the WMU Athletics Hall of Fame - it leaves no doubt that Cullen's feat ranks among the most impressive in recent program history.

"Casey has worked so hard here at Western Michigan to be the very best, and for him to reach the top of the charts is a well-deserved honor," said WMU head coach Dave Morin.  "I can think of no better representative of the program than Casey."

While Cullen grabbed the biggest headline of the day, classmate Michael Calderone pulled himself closer to history.  Calderone teamed with Kazuya Komada to win the No. 1 doubles match 8-2 and took the No. 1 singles match 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-4 to give himself 211 wins for his career, tying Ravi Pathanjali for second on the WMU career overall wins list.  Calderone needs three more wins to pass Dunkle's career overall wins mark of 213.  Also winning in doubles play was the duo of Zeyad Montasser and Thomas Calderone, whoo took the No. 3 doubles 8-7 (4).

The Broncos swept all six matches in singles play to complete the shutout.  Cullen picked up a win in the No. 5 singles match by a score of 4-6, 6-3, 10-7, Komada took the No. 2 singles match 6-1, 6-2, and fellow senior Brad Noel won the No. 6 singles match 6-1, 6-2.  Simon Blomberg was victorious in the No. 3 singles match 6-3, 6-3, and Pablo Olivarez won the No. 4 singles match 2-6, 6-4, 10-8.

2010-11 Western Michigan Men's Tennis
Western Michigan vs Ball State University (Apr 16, 2011)