BEAUMONT, Texas – Trailing 3-2 with two matches remaining, Lamar University got three-set victories from senior Bianca Vitale and freshman Emmeline Polevoi to defeat Stephen F. Austin, 4-3, Monday afternoon at the Thompson Family Tennis Center. Both matches saw LU drop its opening set only to rally for the win in three.
 
"We started slow today, but I'm proud of how we just continued to get stronger as the match wore on," said LU head coach David Wong. "This team fought really hard today, and we needed every bit of it because this match was touch-and-go the whole way. The match could've gone either way, and I tip my cap to SFA because they fought hard, but in the end I think we fought just a bit harder."
 
The day didn't start well as LU dropped the doubles points to the Ladyjacks. SFA took victories on courts one and two, to go up 1-0 early. The Red and White battled back with a quick straight-sets decision from freshman Alba Perez at No. 3 singles to tie the match.
 
After Perez's victory, the two teams rotated wins on the next three courts – a result that saw SFA take a 3-2 lead with just matches on Nos. 1 and 6 remaining. Neither court looked promising early with both Vitale and Polevoi dropping the opening set. As if copying each other, both rallied for tiebreak victory in the second set. First came Vitale with a 8-6 decision court one followed by Polevoi (7-4) on six.
 
Vitale used the momentum from her second set victory to surge out in front and never look back. Vitale ousted SFA's Paula Cerda, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2, to tie the match. Vitale's victory placed the weight of the overall decision on Polevoi's shoulders.  
 
Although No. 6 singles lasted quite a bit longer than court one, the result was very similar to other. After Polevoi took the second set, 7-6 (7-4), she also battled her way to a lead and from that point stepped on the accelerator. In the end, Polevoi secured her individual, and team win, with her 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 decision.
 
The Cardinals will step out of conference play Wednesday when they travel to Lafayette, La., to take on UL Lafayette. The match is slated to begin at 4:30 p.m. from Lafayette.