BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University women's tennis team places its win streak on the line with three matches in a four-day time span. One of the Southland Conference's hottest teams, Big Red will look to defend its four-match win streak against UTSA, Incarnate Word and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi beginning Wednesday in San Antonio.
The Cardinals (7-5/.583) open the three-match road swing Wednesday with a 2 p.m. match against UTSA. LU will stay in the Alamo City through Friday when it faces UIW in a conference showdown at 11 a.m. The Cards close out the road trip Saturday with a noon match at A&M-Corpus Christi. LU enters the week 2-3 (.400) in conference play currently holding the Southland's eighth and final playoff spot.
The Red and White has responded to a three-match skid in a positive way at home. After dropping the three matches, LU bounced back by winning five of its next six, including the current four-match win streak. All four matches of the win streak came on the LU home courts at the Thompson Family Tennis Center.
The Cards will look to make it five in a row – equaling the team's longest win streak from a season ago – when they step on the court Wednesday against the Roadrunners. The 'Runners are 7-9 (.438) on the season, and have found things to be a little rough lately. After starting the year by winning three of their first four matches, UTSA has struggled in the last three weeks of the season dropping three of four against some very tough competition.
The Roadrunners have dropped matches to A&M-Corpus Christi, UNLV and UTEP during that stretch with the lone win coming against Southern Utah in the first week of March. In the three losses during that stretch, UTSA has been outscored, 14-2. The Roadrunners are coming off a 4-1 setback to UTEP three days ago.
The match against UTSA will begin at 2 p.m. from the UTSA Tennis Center in San Antonio.
The UIW Cardinals enter the week looking to right the ship. San Antonio's version of the Cardinals are 2-14 (.125) on the season, and are the lone remaining Southland school looking for their first league win. UIW has dropped eight straight dating back to a 7-0 victory over Prairie View A&M on Feb. 21. UIW's two wins on the season have come at home.
The Red and White closes out the three-match swing Saturday against undefeated A&M-Corpus Christi. The Islanders are 12-0 on the season and are coming off a 6-1 victory over New Orleans. A&M-Corpus Christi is the Southland's lone remaining undefeated team, with a 4-0 mark in conference play. The Islanders will take on McNeese State and Sam Houston before hosting LU.
-LU CARDINALS-
