BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University women's tennis travels to southern Louisiana for its final two matches of the season beginning Friday against New Orleans. The Cardinals (7-12/4-5 Southland) will close out the regular season two days later at Nicholls. Big Red hits the road looking to lock up a berth in the Southland Conference Championships which will be held later this month in Corpus Christi, Texas.
 
The Cardinals enter the weekend matches in seventh place in the Southland standings just a half game back of McNeese who LU holds the tiebreak over. Big Red is also just 1.5 games back of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi who still has three matches left to play.
 
Big Red enters its final two matches in a strong position for the conference postseason tournament but still has work to do to lock up one of the remaining spots. LU sits just a half game up on Southeastern Louisiana who has the tiebreak over the Red and White, while Stephen F. Austin has pulled to within a half game of the final playoff spot after their upset of previously undefeated Northwestern State.
 
The Cardinals enter the week playing some of their best tennis of the season. LU has won three of its last four matches and is coming off a 7-0 victory over Incarnate Word Sunday in San Antonio.
 
The Cardinals will be in New Orleans Friday to take on the Privateers. UNO is currently 10^th in the standings with a 9-9 (.500) overall record and a 2-5 (.286) mark in the conference play. The Privateers enter the week with a lot to play for just a game back of the eighth and final playoff spot. Friday's match will begin at 11 a.m. from New Orleans.
 
The Red and White will close out the regular season two days later when they make the short trip to Thibodaux, La. to face Nicholls. The Colonels are currently 11^th in the league standings with a 4-13 (.235) overall record and a 1-7 (.125) league mark. Nicholls is currently a 1.5 games back of New Orleans in the standings, and two games back of Southeastern Louisiana for the eighth and final playoff spot. The Colonels have dropped three of their past four matches but are coming off a 5-0 victory over Loyola University (La.) Tuesday evening. Sunday's match is slated to begin at 11 a.m. from the Nicholls Tennis Complex.