BEAUMONT, Texas – After stepping out of Western Athletic competition last week, the Lamar University women's tennis team (9-8/0-2 WAC) returns to league play with matches against Abilene Christian and Stephen F. Austin. Both matches will be played in Stephenville and hosted by Tarleton State.
 
The Cardinals enter the week having won four of their last six matches and coming off a doubleheader sweep of Prairie View A&M last week. Big Red won those two matches by a combined 12-2 score.
 
The Wildcats (7-9/1-2 WAC) head to Stephenville two matches under .500 on the season but ended a three-match losing streak last week against New Mexico State. ACU enters the week just a match up on the Cardinals in the win column having already dropped conference matches to both Stephen F. Austin and UT Rio Grande Valley. Each of the Wildcats last three matches have come down to the wire as all three have been 4-3 decisions.
 
The all-time series between the two schools dates back to the 2000 season and has been in favor of ACU. The Cardinals won two of the first three meetings before ACU rattled of eight straight wins. The Cardinals recorded a 4-3 victory over the Wildcats last year in Abilene.
 
Saturday's match against ACU is slated to begin 3 p.m. from the Potishman-Lard Tennis Complex.
 
The Cardinals will turn around the following day to face Stephen F. Austin. The Ladyjacks (8-7/1-2 WAC) have won four of the previous six matches but are coming off back-to-back losses (Tarleton State and Sam Houston). SFA is currently tied with Abilene Christian, just a victory up on the Cardinals in the standings.
 
The series between the two dates back to the 1994 season, with the Cardinals owning a 19-8 (.704) all-time record. The Cardinals have won four straight in the series and six of the last eight. Sunday will be the first time the two have met on a neutral court since the 2006 season.
 
Sunday's match is slated to begin at 9 a.m. from the Potisham-Lard Tennis Complex in Stephenville.