BEAUMONT, Texas – After opening the season with seven of their first nine matches away from the Thompson Family Tennis Center, the Lamar University Cardinals return home Wednesday to host Prairie View A&M in a doubleheader. It is the team's first home appearance since a schedule doubleheader back on Jan. 31^st (the second of the two matches got rained out that day).
 
The Cardinals enter the week looking to improve upon a 1-7 (.125) start to the 2019 campaign. Big Red has dropped three-straight since rallying to beat UTSA in thrilling fashion. LU's non-conference schedule to this point has been stocked full of top caliber opponents – Rice, Houston, North Texas, TCU, UTSA, Texas A&M, UNLV and UT Rio Grande Valley.
 
The Cards are coming off a disappointing setback at UTRGV 10 days ago. The Red and White got big singles wins on courts 2, 3 and 6 but couldn't come up with the match winner.
 
Prairie View has struggled out of the gates as well, dropping their first nine matches of the season. Six of the Panthers' nine losses have come against Southland Conference opponents. PVAMU has scored only one match point on the season with the lone point coming early in the year against Baylor.
 
The Panthers are eager to get back on the court after having their past two matches canceled (vs. Southern and Texas A&M-Kingsville). Both matches against the Panthers were originally scheduled to be played on campus at the Thompson Family Tennis Center but have been moved to the covered courts at the Beaumont Municipal Complex.
 
The Cardinals will take 10 days before opening conference play. LU will kick off the league schedule Friday, Mar. 1^st, against Central Arkansas. The match against the Bears will begin at noon in Conway, Ark.