BEAUMONT, Texas – After a year apart from the Southland Conference, the Lamar University volleyball team prepares to open the 2022 league schedule Thursday at home against Northwestern State (6 p.m. from McDonald Gym). It will be a short one-match stay in Beaumont before the Cardinals return to the road Saturday to take on Texas A&M-Commerce in Commerce.
 
For LU, the Cardinals enter league play with a 6-5 (.545) overall record having won five of their last seven outings. It marks the first time that Big Red will enter conference play above .500 on the season. In fact, the Cardinals head into Thursday's match knowing they could very easily be at nine wins with three heartbreaking losses in five sets.
 
The Southland opener couldn't come at a better time for the road weary Cardinals who have been away from Beaumont since their season-opening home tournament at the end of August. Thursday's contest comes in the midst of a stretch that will see LU on the road for 11 of 12 matches before returning to host Houston Baptist and UIW to open the month of October.
 
Northwestern State is off to its best start since 2019 and enters the midweek showdown in a similar position to LU. The Demons have won three of their previous four matches and currently hold a 7-5 overall record, with one of their wins coming in league play.
 
The series between the two schools dates back to the 1982 season, and it's one where the Cardinals hold the advantage, 25-16 (.610), but NSU has held the upper hand lately. Big Red has dropped 11 of the last 12 meetings to Northwestern State with the lone setback coming in February of 2021 (the 2020 season that was moved to the spring 2021 semester due to COVID) in Beaumont. LU is 13-10 (.565) all-time against Northwestern State in Beaumont.
 
The Cardinals will hit the road again Saturday to take on A&M-Commerce. Entering their first season as a Southland Conference member, the Lions have gotten out to a tough start on the year holding a 3-10 (.231) overall record. The Lions have split their previous two decisions and just missed consecutive wins falling to Eastern Washington, 3-2, last time out. A&M-Commerce will square off against McNeese Thursday evening in Lake Charles before hosting LU. Saturday's contest will be the first meeting between the two schools and it is slated for a 1 p.m. start from the A&M-Commerce Field House.