BEAUMONT, Texas – Looking to climb the ladder of the Southland Conference standings, the Lamar University volleyball team returns home to open a pivotal three-match homestand beginning Thursday against New Orleans. The homestand will including the Privateers, McNeese and Texas A&M-Commerce, and will take LU beyond the midway point of the conference schedule.
 
For the Red and White, the homestand could be coming at the perfect time as LU looks to right the ship after a tough stretch. The Cardinals entered conference play, one match over .500 on the season, but have dropped their first seven matches of the league schedule.
 
Despite sitting in 10^th place in the standings, the Cardinals are just two wins back of eighth place, and if all goes in LU's favor the Cards could jump three places in the standings this week.
 
Big Red's first test is an opponent the Cardinals are very familiar with – UNO – is a team the Cardinals have played three times already this season. The Cards have a 2-1 lead in the season series. Unfortunately, the lone loss (which came in the last outing) was a conference setback, while the two LU wins were non-conference tilts. Thursday's contest will be the first meeting between the two teams in Beaumont, a place where the Cardinals hold an 11-6 (.688) series advantage.
 
Since their first meeting of the season which came back at the beginning of September, the Privateers are playing some of their best volleyball of the season. UNO has won five of its last six matches and currently sit tied for second in the conference standings (11-8/5-2 SLC). Thursday's match is slated to begin at 6 p.m. from McDonald Gym.
 
The Cardinals will be back on the court Saturday to host McNeese in the annual Battle of the Border. McNeese is 8-13 (.381) on the season and tied for fifth in the conference standings with a 4-3 record. Similar to UNO, the Cowgirls are playing some of their best volleyball of the year right now having won three of the previous four matches, with the lone loss a shutout at league-leading Houston Christian.
 
The Cardinals hold a 46-31 (.597) series advantage in the rivalry with a 26-10 (.722) record all-time in Beaumont.
 
Saturday's match against the Cowgirls will begin at 1 p.m. from McDonald Gym. The Cardinals will close out the three match homestand next week against Texas A&M-Commerce.