BEAUMONT, Texas – Winners of two straight and three of their past five, the Lamar University women's tennis team will open a four-match road swing beginning Friday at Abilene Christian. The Cardinals will then travel to San Antonio, Texas two days later to face Incarnate Word. Both matches are slated to begin at 11 a.m.
 
Playing some of their best tennis of the season, the Cardinals are coming off a sweep of their recent two-match homestand to move to 6-11 (.353) on the season and 3-4 (.429) in Southland Conference play. The Cardinals posted an impressive 7-0 victory over Stephen F. Austin to open the homestand and then bounced right back with a 5-2 decision over Sam Houston State who entered the day in second place in the league standings and had only one loss.
 
Due to LU's recent success on the court, the Cardinals have climbed from 10^th in the league standings to sixth place and can now turn their attention to improving their position in the standings. The Cardinals still need to win at least three matches to assure themselves of a spot in the conference tournament.
 
While LU currently sits alone in sixth places, and just 1.5 games back of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Big Red holds a slim 0.5 games lead over New Orleans and McNeese and just a game lead over Stephen F. Austin and Southeastern Louisiana.
 
Friday's opponent – Abilene Christian – is one of two remaining undefeated teams in the Southland Conference. The Wildcats (10-8/6-0) enter the week in second place, but that is only due to the fact that Northwestern State has one more conference win. ACU enters the week winners of two straight and six of their past seven matches, with the lone setback during that stretch coming at SMU. The Wildcats are coming off a 5-2 victory over New Orleans to close out the month of March.
 
Following Friday's match, the Cardinals will then travel to San Antonio for a showdown against UIW. The Southland's other Cardinals are a dangerous team from the point that they are league's last remaining team without a win in conference play. UIW (4-10/0-7 SLC) has dropped seven straight and is coming off a 5-2 loss to Nicholls to close out the month of March. San Antonio's version of the Cardinals saw their last victory in February against Laredo Community College.