BEAUMONT, Texas – The reigning Southland Conference men's tennis team will take the first steps toward defending its title Saturday when they travel to Houston, Texas to take on Rice. The match against the Owls is slated to begin at 4 p.m. from the George R. Brown Tennis Center.
 
The Cardinals are coming off a 2016 campaign that saw them cruise through the Southland Conference without a blemish to win the regular-season title, and eventually the league tournament title to earn a spot in the NCAA Championships. Led by 2016 Southland Coach of the Year Scott Shankles, the Cardinals posted a 17-5 (.773) overall record and closed the season with a nine-match win streak heading into the NCAA Championships first-round contest against Texas.
 
The Cardinals had all six of their starters land on the 2016 All-Southland teams, including SLC Player of the Year Michael Feucht. The Cardinals return all six players for the 2017 season which makes LU a favorite to repeat as league champions.
 
Before the Cardinals can begin to think of holding up a trophy, they will need to work their way through another very strong non-conference schedule that begins Saturday against the Owls. An argument can be made for the Owls to be ranked among the nation's top 25, and when Rice made its way to Beaumont last season they were ranked 28^th overall.
 
The Owls return six players from last season, including three seniors. Among the list of returning veterans are Jake Hansen, Emanuel Llamas and David Warren. All three are coming off 20-win seasons last year.
 
The Cardinals are coming off a strong performance in the series in 2016. LU defeated Rice, 4-1, last season in the Thompson Family Tennis Center in a match-up between two ranked teams.
 
Following Saturday's match, the Cardinals will have a week to prepare for the 2017 home opener against Alcorn State. It will be a doubleheader against the Braves that will see the first match begin at 10 a.m. followed by the second at 2 p.m.
 
-LU CARDINALS-