BEAUMONT, Texas – After having the majority of their 2020 season canceled, the Lamar University women's tennis team returns to action Friday to open the 2021 campaign. The Cardinals will kick off the season Saturday with a home doubleheader against Prairie View A&M. There has already been a change to the schedule as the matches were originally scheduled to be played Friday. Both matches will take place at the Thompson Family Tennis Center on the LU campus. The first match will begin at 9 a.m. with the second getting under way at 2 p.m.
 
The Cardinals were off to a hot start in 2020 before COVID prematurely ended the season. The Cardinals were 8-4 (.667) overall and 2-2 (.500) in Southland Conference play and coming off back-to-back victories. LU head coach David Wong returns five players from that team to go along with four talented freshmen.
 
A small silver lining from the premature end to the 2020 season is the NCAA is allowing an added year of eligibility for athletes in spring sports. Due to that rule, the Cardinals retained the services of senior Bianca Vitale for one extra season. One of the Cards' more veteran players, Vitale is the lone senior on a roster that includes two juniors and six freshmen (the two 2020 freshmen were allowed to retain their freshman eligibility as well).
 
The Cardinals season-opening opponent, Prairie View A&M, comes to Beaumont with a distinct advantage having already played seven matches to this point in the season. The Panthers enter Friday's showdown looking for their first win of the season with an 0-7 overall record. PVAMU has already played doubleheaders against Sam Houston State, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Baylor and faced Texas A&M in one match.
 
The first match is set to begin at 9 a.m., with the second match set for a 2 p.m. start.