BEAUMONT, Texas – Playing in McDonald Gym for the first time under interim head coach Michelle Kuester, Lamar University's volleyball team will open the home half of its 2018 schedule with the Cardinal Classic, taking place Thursday through Saturday. Texas Southern, Southern University, and Howard University face off against the Cards.
 
The Last Time Out – Jax State Invitational
 
Tomar Thomas averaged over three kills a set enroute to 34 kills and a double-double over the weekend, but LU couldn't quite find the mark in Jacksonville, Ala., falling to all three of its opponents. Thomas had 20 kills and 14 digs in the four-set season opener against Mercer, and the Cards were with two points of a five-set match, but in the end the Bears escaped with a win.
 
Big Red again hung tough with their opponent in the second match of the weekend, facing tournament host Jacksonville State. The Cards came within two points of capturing the first set and four from the third, but ultimately fell 3-0.
 
Offensive struggles dogged LU in the tourney finale last Saturday as the Cards dropped a three-set result to the Trojans of Arkansas-Little Rock.

Lamar vs. Texas Southern – August 30 at 7 p.m.

Big Red holds an impeccable 11-1 mark all-time against the Lady Tigers of TSU, including a 5-0 record in the friendly confines of McDonald Gym. Texas Southern holds recent bragging rights though with a neutral site, five-set win over the Cards on Sept. 2, 2016 – the last meeting between the two teams.
 
TSU is 0-4 this season including an 0-2 mark against Southland Conference opponents (Sam Houston and Houston Baptist). The Lady Tigers are coached by Jocelyn Adams, who owns a 102-111 mark at Texas Southern since becoming the third head coach of the program in June of 2011.
 
Jada Hall (20) and Kirby Anderson (18) lead offensively for the Lady Tigers, and Jordan Brown (25 digs) and Anderson (11 total blocks) pacing the defense. Breyanna York has impressed at setter with 53 assists, averaging 4.08 assists a set.

Lamar vs. Southern University – August 31 at 12 p.m.

Lamar holds a 2-0 mark against Southern, taking a neutral site match in 1983 and another on Sept. 11, 2015.
 
The Jaguars are 0-3 this season, including a four-set loss to Southeastern Louisiana at the Troy Invitational last weekend. The Jaguars are in their sixth season under Venessa Jacobs, who has gone 52-93 at the helm.
 
Shelby Jolly and Paige Hall pace the offense with 21 kills apiece, and Vaterra Calais (45 assists) and Princess Stark (27 assists) have split the passing duties so far in 2018. Khari Woods leads the way in digs (31), and the Jags have just 13 total blocks this year as a team.
 
Lamar vs Howard University – August 31 at 7 p.m.

Howard University and Lamar will meet for the first time on the court Saturday, and LU will be the first and only SLC school the Bison will play in 2018.
 
Howard is 2-2 on the year with a three-set sweep of George Washington University and a 3-1 win over George Mason at the Food Truck Festival. The Bison lost in four sets to Wichita State and straight sets to #1 Stanford. Howard is led by Shaun Kupferberg, who is in his seventh year at Howard and his 13th season as a Division I head coach. Kupferberg holds a 207-163 record overall and a 104-83 mark at Howard.
 
Jurnee Tipton is one of the best offensive weapons in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with 42 kills on the year. Three other Bison also have over 25 kills including Marcelle Butler (30), Courtney Dalton (27), and Olubunmi Okundae (27). Tamia Dockery is averaging an astounding 8.86 assists a set with 124 on the year, and ­­­­Fola Wilson (45), Dockery (34), and Tipton (30) each have at least 30 digs apiece.