BEAUMONT, Texas - Returning to the friendly confines of McDonald Gym after earning its first road win since 2016, Lamar University's volleyball team (1-2) will host its home tournament, the 2019 Katrinka Crawford Invitational, this weekend. The Cardinals will face Prairie View A&M University, South Dakota State University, and the University of Louisiana-Monroe this Friday and Saturday.

The Last Time Out - GSU Invitational

Finishing its first two matches in narrow five-set losses and earning its first road victory since 2016 in three sets in the finale, Big Red was competitive throughout the GSU Invitational, hosted by Georgia State University in Atlanta, Ga., this past weekend. The Cardinals took Fordham University to five sets on Friday before ultimately running out of gas, and again played to five sets in their first match on Saturday, losing in the fifth set to tourney host GSU. The Cards rebounded with a dominant win over Western Carolina Saturday afternoon to head home with a big win and momentum on their side.

Abigale Nash had two double-doubles and totaled double-digit kills in all three matches last week, totaling 37 kills and 40 digs, and Alyssa Legette also had a double-double for Big Red in assists and digs. Erin Pequeno was named to the All-Tournament team after recording 52 digs through three matches, averaging four digs a set.

Lamar vs. Prairie View A&M - Sept. 6 at Noon

The Cardinals have never lost in 20 matches against Prairie View A&M, and has lost just two sets against the Panthers since 1998. This year PVAMU enters the Crawford Invitational with an 0-4 record after going 0-3 at the Sam Houston State tournament last weekend and dropping a three-set match against Houston Baptist at home.

CeTara Carter, Jaylan Thomas, and Victoria Pearson each have over 30 kills so far this season with all three Panthers averaging 2.47 or more kills a set. Jakarta Hope is the team's primary setter with 79 assists so far this year, averaging 5.27 assists a set, and Skyla Childs has averaged 3.73 digs a set in the defensive specialist role, totaling 56 digs this year. Carter has been the biggest defensive presence at the net with 12 total blocks, though Tamaira Armstrong and Pearson each have eight blocks.

Lamar vs. South Dakota State - Sept. 6 at 7 p.m.

South Dakota State and Lamar will play each other for the third time in program history and the first since 2007 this weekend with the Jackrabbits holding a 2-0 all-time advantage. The Cards played at South Dakota State in 2006 and hosted the Jackrabbits in 2007.

This season SDSU is 1-2 on the year after losing in four to Memphis, beating tourney host Eastern Illinois in four sets, and dropping a four-set match to Drake last weekend at the EIU Panther Invitational. Makenzie Hennen and Crystal Burk each have exactly 42 kills so far this year, averaging 3.5 kills a set apiece, and Hennen has also been the main option defensively with the team lead in digs - 43 total, averaging 3.58 a set. Madison Fay is the primary passer with 81 assists (6.75 a set).

Now in her fifth season as the head coach of the Jackrabbits, Nicole Cirillo is 19-100 all-time. Cirillo came to SDSU from IUPUI where she was an associate head coach for five seasons. She is a 2004 graduate of Central Arkansas.

Lamar vs. Louisiana-Monroe - Sept. 7 at Noon

Louisiana-Monroe, a former member of the Southland Conference, has played the Cardinals 26 times, and Lamar holds a respectable 22-4 advantage over the Warhawks including a 10-1 record at McDonald Gym. But ULM does own recent bragging rights with three consecutive wins over the Cards and victories in four of the last six meetings.

Louisiana-Monroe is 3-1 this year after beating Arkansas-Pine Bluff in three sets and New Orleans in four sets at UNO's tournament last weekend. The Warhawks lost to North Dakota in the finale of that tourney 3-1 and then won in three sets at Grambling State on Labor Day. Charlie Olson is the head coach of ULM volleyball and is in his first season as a head coach. He was hired by the Warhawks just under a month ago after spending five seasons as an assistant at Sam Houston State.

Mikaela Worley is the team's offensive leader with 46 kills this year, averaging 4.18 kills a set. She also has the third-most digs on the team with 28 so far this year. Albany Schaffer leads with 32 digs but Kate Blasingame has just two fewer digs with 30 this year. Hailey Hughes leads in blocks with nine this season and Worley has an additional eight blocks. Expect most of the passing duties to be handled by McKinley Thiede (69 assists), but Darby Fisher (42 assists) could also see significant time at setter.

Up Next - University of Houston - Beaumont, Texas - Sep. 10 at 7 p.m.

After completing the 2019 Katrinka Crawford Invitational, Cardinal fans won't have to wait long for another match in McDonald Gym. The University of Houston (1-4) will come to town on Tuesday, Sept. 10, to play the Cardinals at 7 p.m. with Five Point Credit Union as the title sponsor.

Individual game tickets can be found on the schedule page, and Cardinal fans can still buy the 2019-20 Olympic Sports season pass, which for $60 serves as the season ticket for volleyball, soccer, and softball.