ABILENE, Texas – Friday started with three undefeated teams in the Southland Conference but it will end with one fewer. Lamar University knocked the Abilene Christian Wildcats from the ranks of the undefeated with a 5-2 victory in Abilene Friday afternoon. The Cardinals are joined by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi as the two remaining undefeated teams.
 
Friday's victory was LU's (14-6/3-0 SLC) fifth straight and eight in the last nine matches as the Cardinals look to defend their conference regular-season title from a year ago.
 
LU followed its normal strategy of taking an early lead by strong work on the doubles courts. The Cardinals would need that strong work to pick up the point. After the Cardinals snagged the first doubles match with a 6-3 victory on court one, the second match was a lot closer.
 
The duo of senior Michael Feucht and junior Benny Schweizer received a strong test from ACU's Paul Domanski and Josh Sheehy. The Wildcat tandem forced the match to a tiebreak before LU came out on top with the 7-6 victory. The win on court two was magnified when ACU picked up a three-point decision on court three.
 
The Cardinals took the confidence of their one-point lead into singles where sophomore Sebastian Santibanez pushed the advantage to two with his straight-sets victory at line four singles. ACU responded to the setback by taking the win at No. 2 singles. The Wildcats' Jonathan Sheehy cut the deficit in half with his 7-5, 6-3 decision over Nikita Lis.
 
Feucht pushed the Cardinals advantage back to two points with his 6-4, 6-4 victory over Sheehy at No. 1 singles, but it was at that point the match slowed down. All three of the remaining matches went to a third set. The Cardinals won two of the three Schweizer scored the clinching point with his victory over ACU's Henry Adams, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2. Senior Jeandre Hoogenboezem scored the team's final point at No. 3 singles defeating Nico Agritelley, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.
 
The Wildcats closed out the match by scoring the final point of the day on court No. 6.
 
The Cardinals return to action Friday, April 14 when they travel to Thibodaux, La., to take on Nicholls. The match against the Colonels is one of just two remaining conference matches for the Red and White before hosting the Southland Championships. The SLC tournament will be held Saturday, April 29, at the Beaumont Municipal Tennis Center.
 
-LU CARDINALS-