BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University men's tennis team celebrated Senior Day in style by sending it's graduating class out with a 4-3 victory over the Southland Conference-leading, and previously undefeated, New Orleans Privateers Wednesday afternoon at the Thompson Family Tennis Complex.
 
The victory improves LU to 9-7 (.563) on the season and into a two-way tie for second place in the standings with a 2-1 (.667) league record.
 
Despite the loss, it was UNO that actually got out to a quick start taking the first doubles match. The Privateers won the match on court three, but Big Red's duo of Nicolas Mayr and Axel Vila Antuna fought back to tie things up with their victory on court one, 6-4, over Austin Vos and Espen Lagarde.
 
The victory on court one put all the focus on line two doubles for the first point of the match, and neither team was willing to give an inch. The Cardinals team of Filippo Salsini and Joshua Taylor managed to grab a small lead in the tiebreak. Once LU took the lead, they never looked back holding on for a 7-6 (7-4) decision.
 
Vila Antuna made it a 2-0 advantage with his straight-sets decision over UNO's Vos, 6-1, 6-2, on court one. Freshman Brandon Do followed suit moments later with a straight-sets victory over Misha Fomenkov, 6-4, 6-2, at No. 5 singles.
 
Do's victory put the Cardinals up 3-0 needing just one more win for the overall victory. The Cardinals didn't have to wait long to get that victory, and it came in the form of senior Carlos Paton Canal. After surviving a close opening set, Paton Canal wasted little time dispensing of the Privateers' Lagarde, 7-5, 6-3.
 
UNO salvaged the final three matches, including three-setters on courts three and six to make the match close in the end.
 
The Cardinals return to action Friday, April 11^th, when they travel to Thibodaux, La., to take on Nicholls. The match against the Colonels will begin at 11 a.m. from the Colonel Tennis Complex.