Box Score THE WOODLANDS, Texas – Mother Nature has had a strong impact on the Lamar University tennis schedule to this point in the season forcing either cancellations or a time and venue changes for each of the past three weeks. Those disruptions were not enough to derail the Cardinals Saturday as they defeated Jacksonville State, 4-2, at The Woodlands Country Club.
 
"Overall, it was a great match," said LU head coach Scott Shankles. "Our guys kept battling no matter the situation on the court and in the end we were able to get a big win. It's always tough to lose the doubles point, but if you look at the individual matches it was close. I didn't feel worried because we were playing so well. I think that helped us transitioning into singles."
 
After spotting the Gamecocks a one-point lead, the Cardinals came out fighting in the singles competition, but were faced with a unique situation. The Woodlands Country Club only has four indoor courts so doubles was able to be played normally, but singles only played courts 1 – 4 to start the match and as soon as one finished No. 5 singles would start followed by No. 6.
 
The Cardinals jumped all over JSU to open singles play winning three of the first four opening sets. Courts 1 – 3 were all lock in tough battles as they all went to a tiebreaker. Big Red got the edge in two of those three matches and easily won the opening set on court four.
 
Freshman Nicolas Mayr wasted little time tying the match back up after his straight-sets victory over Paolo Cucalon, 6-2, 6-1. With the match all tied up, the Cardinals could focus on the battles at 1 – 3 singles. Senior Benny Schweizer was looking to give the Cardinals their first lead of the match but was forced to a third set after Jacksonville State's Aljaz Kaplja battled back to win the second set and force a third. That would be as close to victory as Kaplja would get as Schweizer posted the 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-2 decision.
 
JSU now found itself down one but the answered the call as well by picking up a three-set victory on court No. 3. Junior Sebastian Santibanez would give the Cardinals back the lead and LU wouldn't surrender it for the rest of the match. After being forced to a third set, Santibanez outlasted JSU's Pablo Caffarena, 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 6-4 for the victory.
 
The Cardinals only needed one more victory to pick up their first team win of the season. That victory would come from LU's freshman class. Arthur Serafim edged the Gamecocks' Guillermo Agost, 7-5, in the opening set to take an early advantage. The opening set decision seemed knock the wind out of JSU's sails as Serafim cruised to a 6-4 decision in the second set.
 
"I was really proud of our freshmen today," said Shankles. "They've had to endure a lot during the early part of our season, and it hasn't been easy. All those guys have been working really hard and it is beginning to show on the court. I thought our freshmen really grew up today.  Nicolas got a quick win to get us on the scoreboard and then Arthur was the clinching victory."
 
LU freshman Roy Stepanov was on court six against Jacksonville State's Andres Gomez but the match was stopped midway through the first set after the Cardinals clinched the overall victory.
 
The Cardinals return to action Monday, Feb. 12, when they travel to Hattiesburg, Miss., to take on Troy. The match will begin at 10 a.m. on the Southern Mississippi campus.
 
-LU CARDINALS-