BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University women's tennis team will return to the Southland Conference portion of its schedule Monday against Abilene Christian. The Southland opener will take place 48 hours later than it was expected due to Mother Nature stepping in and wielding her influence over the Golden Triangle to once again disrupt the schedule. Monday's match will begin at 2 p.m. from the Thompson Family Tennis Center and is a scheduled doubleheader with the LU men.
The Southland opener was originally planned as a doubleheader Saturday with the LU men's team.
The LU women (2-6/.250) enter the week having dropped four of the past five, and are coming off a setback at Northwestern State last time out. The Cards lone victory during that stretch was a thrilling one-point win at Stephen F. Austin in their Southland-opening match.
The Wildcats are two wins over .500 on the season (7-5/.583), but have dropped two straight after having posted three consecutive wins. The Wildcats are 1-1 in conference play having defeated Nicholls, but dropping a match to Central Arkansas. The Wildcats are 3-1 (.750) on the road this season.
The 2018 campaign marks the first season that ACU is eligible to win the Southland Conference title, and be able to compete in the conference's postseason tournament. The previous four seasons they were ineligible due to NCAA transfer rules related to the transition from NCAA Division II to Division I status.
Following the match, LU will hit the road for a three-match swing through San Antonio, Texas to take on UTSA and Laredo Junior College in a doubleheader, followed by a conference tilt against Incarnate Word three days later. The doubleheader will take place Wednesday with the first match taking place against UTSA (10 a.m.) followed by a 3 p.m. match against Laredo.
UTSA enters the week 4-7 (.364) on the season but has dropped six of its past seven matches with the lone victory during that stretch coming against Texas State.
Big Red closes out the week with a conference match at UIW Saturday. San Antonio's version of the Cardinals are 1-10 on the season and 0-2 in Southland matches.
-LU CARDINALS-
