BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University men's tennis team swept Alcorn State in a doubleheader Saturday afternoon at the Beaumont Municipal Tennis Complex. The Cardinals (2-1) won the first match, 7-0 and followed up with a 4-1 decision in the second match.
 
The Cards jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the opening match by picking up victories at Nos. 1 and 2 doubles. The duo of seniors Jeandre Hoogenboezem and Nikita Lis got the match started with their win at the No. 1 spot, while senior Michael Feucht and junior Benny Schweizer nearly shutout Alcorn State's Nischay Rawal and Suyash Gupta, 6-1 on court 2. The Cardinals were so impressive in the first two matches there was no need to finish the match on court three.
 
LU then turned to its strength at the bottom of the lineup to lock up the victory.  Junior Logan Powell posted the Cardinals first singles win of the day with a straight-sets victory over Ivan Matas, 6-2, 6-0, at No. 6 singles.
 
Sophomore Sebastian Santibanez put the Cards within a match of the overall victory with his 6-0, 6-1, decision over Gupta at the No. 4 spot. Senior Juuso Laitinen put the first match away with his straight-sets winner on court five. The Cardinals closed out the day with wins from Lis, Hoogenboezem and Feucht respectively.
 
Just like in the first match, the Cardinals took the doubles point by recording 6-4 victories at both Nos. 2 and 3 doubles. Laitinen added to the Cards lead with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Gupta at No. 2 singles. Powell gave Big Red a three-point lead before Alcorn State got on the scoreboard with a victory at No. 6 singles. Lis put the match away with his victory at No. 1 singles.
 
The Cardinals return to action Saturday, Jan. 28, when they travel to Los Angeles, Calif. to take on Boise State. The match against BSU will begin at noon (2 p.m. Beaumont time). The Cardinals will return to action the following day for a match against either UCLA or New Mexico. -LU CARDINALS-