BEAUMONT, Texas – After falling behind 2-0, the Lamar University tennis team rallied to take a lead but their advantage was short lived as Northwestern State closed the day taking the final two matches and the victory, 4-3, Sunday at the Thompson Family Tennis Center.
 
Four of the singles matches went to a third set before an outcome was decided with the two teams splitting those two matches.
 
"I'm very proud of this team today," said LU head coach David Wong. "I thought we fought hard but just came up short on a couple of courts. Our team is obviously hurting, but that is natural when you invest so much time in hard work into preparing for competition and then to come up just short. I'm very proud of Bianca (Vitale). She played through quite a bit of pain today and did that for her team."
 
Sunday's match saw the two teams split the first two matches with the point coming down to court No. 2. The Demons took a late lead and held on for the victory and the point. Northwestern State added to their lead by snatching the first singles victory but it was then that the Cardinals responded.
 
Sophomore Laura Sola Grau grabbed a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Northwestern State's Olivia Alfredsson at No. 5 singles to trim the deficit in half. Senior Sanja Jolic responded with a victory on court No. 3. After dropping the first set, 6-1, Jolic responded by taking the final two sets, 6-4, 7-5, over NSU's Dorota Szczygielska. Moments later Ana Jolic, Sanja's sister, made it three unanswered for the Red and White with her three-set victory over the Demons' Judit Castillo Gargallo on court 6.
 
The Cardinals lead lasted mere seconds before the Demons tied the match back up with a victory on court one forcing the final outcome to be decided at No. 4. The two teams split the first two sets with Northwestern State managing to stay alive with a tiebreak victory in the second. Junior Natalia Garcia Molina jumped out to a early lead in the final set but the Demons' Patrycja Polanska put up a big rally late to come storming back for the victory.
 
The Cardinals return to action Friday when they travel to Hammond, La., to take on Southeastern Louisiana. The match against the Lions will begin at 1 p.m.