HOUSTON, Texas – The Lamar University men's tennis team made the short drive down I-10 Sunday morning to take on Rice but fell to the Owls, 6-1. The match was pushed back four hours due to wet conditions pushing the start from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
 
The Cardinals got out to a great start Sunday taking the first match of the afternoon. Big Red took a slight edge in doubles play when the team of Axel Vila Antuna and Nicolas Mayr defeated Rice's Conrad Russell and Sumit Sarkar, 6-4.
 
The victory put LU in a position of needing just one more win on courts two or three for the point. Unfortunately, that victory never came as the Owls held on to slim leads on the other two courts to take the 1-0 advantage.
 
Rice took first-set victories on courts five and one to open singles play, while the Cardinals grabbed the opening set on courts two and six. Vila Antuna was locked in a tight battle in the opening set of his match going to a tiebreak.
 
Unfortunately, the Cardinals were unable to flip the momentum as Rice extended its lead to 3-0 after wins on courts four and six. After dropping the opening set, the Owls' Campbell Salmon got the second to force a third at the No. 2 position and would eventually take the match.
 
The Cardinals picked up their victory on court No. 6 when Nederland freshman Brandon Do defeated A.J. Valenty, 6-4, 6-3, but it came after Rice had secured the team victory with a win at No. 1 singles. The Owls closed out the day by taking wins on the final two courts.
 
The Cardinals return to action Thursday when they travel to Prairie View, Texas to take on Prairie View A&M in a doubleheader. The first match against the Panthers will begin at 11 a.m. with the second slated to get under way at 2 p.m.