BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University men's tennis team's off week came at the right time as the schedule makers granted LU a little extra time to prepare for its Southland Conference opener Friday against Nicholls. The Cardinals will step on the court for the first time in 17 days looking to improve upon a 6-9 (.400) overall record.
 
The Cardinals have won two of their last three matches and are coming off a 6-1 victory over North Dakota.
 
Nicholls comes to town with a 6-6 (.500) overall record but the Colonels head west looking to right the ship after a very strong start. Nicholls opened the year six and two and had won five consecutive before the recent stretch that has seen them drop four consecutive.
 
The two teams enter the match coming from different places in the season. Friday serves as the conference finale for Nicholls while Big Red is just now kicking off its conference slate.
 
The all-time series between the two dates back to the 1978 season and tilts in favor of LU. The Cardinals are 14-11 (.560) all-time against Nicholls, a record that includes a 4-4 (.500) mark in Beaumont and a three-match win streak.
 
Friday's match is set for an 11 a.m. start from the Thompson Family Tennis Center.
 
The Cardinals will remain in Beaumont Tuesday, April 2^nd, when they kick off the new month with a doubleheader against Prairie View A&M. It's been a tough go this season for PVAMU. The Panthers are 1-18 (.053) on the year with the lone victory coming in conference play against Mississippi Valley State. The Panthers have dropped eight consecutive heading into Tuesday's doubleheader. The first match of the doubleheader will begin at 10 a.m. followed by a second at 2 p.m. Both matches will played at the Thompson Family Tennis Center.