BEAUMONT, Texas – Sunday's match between Lamar University and Idaho was a tough battle where the final score was not indicative of how close the match really was. Lamar University dropped a 6-1 decision to the Idaho Vandals at the Thompson Family Tennis Center – a score that would appear as a healthy win for the visitors until you look at each individual match.
 
The six singles courts saw three go to a third set and four sets going to a tiebreak before being decided. Unfortunately, the Cardinals dropped two of the three matches that went an extra frame, and all four tiebreaks.
 
Lamar (2-1) got a doubles win from senior Leah Kuruvilla and sophomore Megan Do at the No. 1 position. They defeated Idaho's Valentina Rodas and Naomi Schraeder, 6-4, but unfortunately for the Red and White, Idaho managed to get wins on the other two doubles courts to take the point.
 
The Vandals surged to a 3-0 lead with wins at Nos. 6 and 4 singles. The match at No. 4 may have been the most heartbreaking of the day for LU as Lamar's Nouray Metwally went toe-to-toe against Idaho's Schraeder. Both sets of the match went to a tiebreak with Schraeder escaping with a 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-3) decision.
 
Freshman Marika Mueller got the Cardinals on the scoreboard with her impressive three-set victory over Rodas, 7-5, 3-6, 6-2. Despite being down 3-1, Mueller's victory gave the Cardinals a chance with three court remaining and two of those going to a third set. Lamar was down a set on court one but Kuruvilla had forced the second into a tiebreak keeping the path to victory open.
 
It wasn't meant to be as Idaho managed to hold on and take each of the three remaining courts for the victory.
 
The Cardinals will have to put Sunday's setback in the rearview mirror as they return to action Wednesday to host Prairie View A&M in a doubleheader. The first match will begin at 10 a.m. followed by the second at 2 p.m. Both matches will be played at the Thompson Family Tennis Center.