BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University women's tennis team will open the 2026 spring season Sunday when it travels down Interstate 10 for a matchup against Rice. The match is set for a 1 p.m. start from the George R. Brown Tennis Center. It will serve as the season opener for both teams.
 
The Cardinals return five letterwinners from last year's squad as Big Red looks to improve upon a five-win season from a year ago, but the total number of wins doesn't tell the whole story. The 2025 women's tennis roster was one of the youngest in the nation consisting of all freshmen and sophomores with just one senior. Lamar returns five letterwinners from that team to go along with four talented freshmen as Big Red looks to surge back toward the top of the Southland standings.
 
Rice is looking to build from a strong 2025 campaign that saw it finish with a 17-7 (.708) record with a near perfect 4-1 (.800) mark in conference play. The Owls advanced to the NCAA Championships last season dropping a one-point decision to No. 32 UC Santa Barbara.
 
The Cardinals enter the season opener looking for their first victory against Rice. Lamar is 0-21 all-time in a series that originated during the 1993 season and has been played almost every year since 2012.
 
Following the match against Rice, the Cardinals will have five days to prepare for their next contest at Sam Houston. The match against the Bearkats will begin at 11 a.m. from Huntsville, Texas.