BEAUMONT, Texas – It will be an all redbird battle Friday when the Cardinals return to action. The Lamar University women's tennis team travels to San Antonio, Texas Friday for a 3:30 p.m. showdown against the league's other Cardinals. The match – which was originally slated for Saturday – has moved up due of the threat of rain in the area.
 
LU enters the weekend a win over the .500 mark (6-5/.545) on the season but still looking for its first Southland Conference victory after a tough start last week with losses to McNeese and Southeastern Louisiana. Big Red had won six of its previous eight prior to the conference setbacks.
 
Friday's match kicks off a busy stretch for Lamar who will play three matches over the course of the next six days. Lamar will be in San Antonio Friday, followed by San Marcos Monday to face Texas State before returning to San Antonio Wednesday for a contest against the St. Mary's Lady Rattlers.
 
It has been a rough start to the season for UIW who enters the week 1-8 (.111) on the year and 0-2 in conference play. UIW is trying to put a stop to an eight-match losing streak. The Cardinals are 6-5 (.545) all-time against UIW which includes a 4-2 (.667) mark against San Antonio's version of the Cardinals when playing in the Alamo City.  
 
Texas State has opened the year with a 6-4 (.600) record but has dropped consecutive matches after winning six straight. The Bobcats will host Southeast Missouri State Sunday before taking on LU. Lamar and Texas State are 9-9 (.500) all-time but the Cardinals have had better success on the road in the series (6-3/.667). Texas State has won three of the last four contests but the two teams have only met once in the previous 14 seasons.
 
The Rattlers are 4-4 (.500) on the young season and will take on three more opponents before hosting Lamar. The two teams have only met three times with St. Mary's getting the upper hand in the three previous contests.