BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University will open the home portion of its schedule Thursday after a grueling four-match swing on the road that saw the Cardinals square off against four very tough opponents. LU will kick off the home portion of its schedule in style hosting a doubleheader at the Thompson Family Tennis Center.
 
The Cardinals (0-4) will square off against UTSA in the first of two matches before taking on Tyler Junior College in the afternoon match. The contest against the Roadrunners is slated to begin at 10 a.m.
 
The Cardinals are 0-4 on the year but have faced four very tough opponents (Rice, Houston, North Texas and TCU) all on the road. The strong non-conference schedule for the Cardinals was key for a young team. Although the Big Red returns the majority of its players from last season, the heart of its roster remains underclassmen. The Cardinals roster consists of six freshmen and sophomores and only one senior. Of the three juniors on the squad one (Bianca Vitale) is a junior college transfer in her first season with the program.
 
The Roadrunners travel east looking to improve on a 2-2 (.500) record to start the season. Similar to LU, the Roadrunners have started the 2019 season away from home. Thursday's match will be the fifth of six consecutive away from San Antonio to start the year. The Roadrunners have won two of their past three outings but are coming off a three-point loss at New Mexico.
 
Always one of the top-ranked junior college programs in the nation, Tyler JC comes to Beaumont as the nation's No. 1 ranked JUCO squad. The Apaches always play a nationally competitive schedule, and the match against LU will be one of four against four-year institutions in the first four weeks of the season.
 
The match against UTSA will begin at 10, followed by the second match of the doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. Both matches will be played at the Thompson Family Tennis Center on the LU campus, and admission is free to the event.