BEAUMONT, Texas – The rainy weather that has hit southeast Texas has disrupted several of the Lamar University spring sports schedules, and not even the men's tennis team who is headed to New Orleans, La. for a weekend match could escape Mother Nature's wrath. Big Red was scheduled to play Friday at New Orleans giving the team a full day off before facing Abilene Christian Sunday. Due to the threat of rain in the Big Easy, the Cardinals (10-5/1-0 Southland) have agreed to push their match with UNO back to Saturday. The match will now begin at 9 a.m. Due to the change, the Cardinals will now have just 25 hours between their two matches.
 
Winners in two of their last three, and four of their last five, the Cardinals are one of just two teams tied atop the Southland Conference standings with a perfect 1-0 record. The Cardinals are coming off consecutive home victories where they outscored their opponents by a combined score of 14-0.
 
LU will take on a Privateers' squad that is 6-4 (.600) overall and 1-1 (.500) in Southland play. UNO enters the week having won three straight – two scheduled matches were canceled during that stretch – and has not lost since a 6-1 setback to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Feb. 13^th. Prior to the Privateers' three-match win streak, UNO had dropped four consecutive. The Privateers enter the weekend tied for third in Southland standings just a loss back of the Cardinals.
 
Following the match with the Privateers, the Cardinals immediately hop on the bus and return to Beaumont for a Sunday showdown against Abilene Christian. The Wildcats (15-6/1-0 SLC) are the team LU is tied with at the top of the conference standings. The Wildcats currently lead all Southland teams with 15 overall wins. ACU has won two straight, and five of its last six matches and is coming off a 6-1 victory over Nicholls in league play, but will face UTSA and Incarnate Word before traveling to Beaumont.
 
The Wildcats have struggled away from home in 2016 posting a 3-5 (.375) record while the Cardinals are one of the league's better teams at home. Big Red is 4-0 at home this season outscoring opponents by a combined 28-0 score in the Thompson Family Tennis Center.
 
The Cardinals faced their upcoming two opponents three times last season, including one meeting in the Southland tournament. LU won all three meetings surrendering only one point in all three matches. The Cards squared off against New Orleans in the semifinals of the tournament recording a 4-1 victory.
 
Following the home match against ACU, the Red and White will have six days to prepare for Rice. The match against the Owls will begin at 11 a.m. from the Thompson Family Tennis Center.
 
 
-LU CARDINALS-