BEAUMONT, Texas – After having their home-opening weekend altered by Mother Nature, the Lamar University Cardinals look to return to action Sunday when they travel to Houston, Texas when they take on the Rice Owls. Similar to last week, Mother Nature has already had an impact on the Cardinals' next contest. Sunday's match was originally scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
 
The Cardinals will travel down I-10 looking for their first win of the season against Rice. Big Red (0-3) opened the season with three very tough opponents as all three were 2017 NCAA tournament participants. The Cardinals opened the season with two matches in Stillwater, Okla., dropping the first to Bryant University and the second match to nationally ranked Oklahoma State.
 
The youthful Cardinals returned to Beaumont last Friday to kick off the home portion of their schedule against Denver. LU dropped a hard-fought match to the Pioneers and was scheduled to take on Oral Roberts and Prairie View A&M in a doubleheader Saturday before the matches were rained out.
 
The Owls enter the weekend match with a 1-2 (.333) overall record. Rice opened the season dropping a one-point decision to UT Rio Grande Valley, 4-3. The Owls bounced back later that same day defeating Prairie View, 6-1. Rice dropped its second match of the season last week with a 4-2 decision against UL Lafayette.
 
Saturday's match between the Cardinals and Rice will mark the fourth-straight home match for the Owls to open the 2018 campaign, while the Cardinals have played only one match in front of their own fans this season.
 
The two teams have split the previous two decisions, with Rice taking a 6-1 victory last season in Houston. During the 2016 season, the Cardinals posted a 4-1 victory over then No. 28 Rice at the Thompson Family Tennis Center.  
 
-LU CARDINALS-