SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Lamar University battled back from an early deficit but came up just short falling to UIW, 3-1 (25-12, 25-20, 20-25, 25-21), Thursday evening at the McDermott Center. The loss drops LU to 1-15 overall and 1-10 in Southland Conference play.
 
Due to technical difficulties at the arena, official stats were not available following the match.
 
After scoring the first two points of the match, the Cardinals went cold as UIW scored seven of the next eight points to take a 7-3 lead. The Southland's other Cardinals pushed their lead to as many as seven points midway through the set. LU head coach Jordan Lay called a timeout to slow UIW's momentum but the homestanding Cardinals saw their lead grow to as many as 13 points late as the Cardinals snagged a 25-12 first set victory.
 
It was UIW who scored the opening salvo in the second set jumping out to a 3-0 lead. In reverse order of set one, LU responded with the next four points to take their first lead since a 2-1 score in the first frame. Unfortunately for the Red and White, the momentum flipped to the other side of the court as UIW jumped back out in front. The Cardinals hung with UIW but the homestanding Cardinals held on for a five-point victory to take a 2-0 lead in the contest.
 
With their backs against the wall, Big Red came out fighting in the third set scoring seven of the set's first nine points to take 7-2 lead. After San Antonio's version of the Cardinals trimmed the lead down to just two points, LU turned in one of its biggest rallies of the night. The good guys scored 14 of the next 20 points to take a commanding 21-13 lead late into the set. Although UIW would make a late push, LU never allowed them to get closer than two points down the stretch picking up the 25-20 decision in the third set.
 
Neither team would manage to gain any real breathing room in the fourth set. After UIW opened by scoring the first three points, Big Red fought right back to take a one-point lead, 9-8. It was a back-and-forth affair from that point on as LU led, 14-13, only to see the hosts take a one-point lead, 19-18. After UIW pushed their lead back to two, Beaumont's Cardinals fought back to tie the match at 20. After a couple of long rallies, UIW found its with 23-21 advantage. The hometown team would not relinquish the lead winning the set (and the match) with a 25-21 score in the fourth set.
 
The Cardinals close out the regular season Saturday at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The match against the Islanders will begin at 1 p.m.