BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University women's tennis team faces a critical three-match road swing to close out the 2026 regular season, including their final two Southland Conference contests. The Cardinals travel to Nacogdoches Monday to face Stephen F. Austin (11 a.m.), will be at Northwestern State Wednesday (11 a.m.) followed by the regular season finale Saturday at UTSA (11 a.m.).
 
The Cardinals (9-8/2-5 SLC) are currently on the outside of the conference tournament looking in. The SLC Championship tournament will take the top eight teams and Lamar is currently tied for eighth just a loss back of UT Rio Grande Valley in the standings, but New Orleans holds the tiebreaker over Big Red. Lamar still has the opportunity to climb several spots in the final week of the regular season but with will have to start with the match Monday against the Ladyjacks.
 
SFA is 6-8 (.429) on the year but fourth in SLC standings with a 4-3 (.571) record. The Ladyjacks enter the new week currently 2.0 matches up on Lamar in the standings and will close the year at home against the league's two Cardinals. Lamar owns a 21-10 (.677) all-time record against SFA, but that win percentage drops when the two meet in Nacogdoches (8-7/.533). SFA has won each of the past two meetings.
 
The Cardinals will then make the trip over to Natchitoches, La., two days later to face Northwestern State. The Demons (10-5/6-1 SLC) are currently in second place in the standings just a match back of McNeese for the overall lead. The all-time series between the two schools has been unkind to LU with the Demons holding a 19-13 (.594) all-time record and an 8-5 (615) mark in Natchitoches.
 
The Cardinals will close out the 2026 regular season Saturday when they make the trip to San Antonio, Texas for a match against UTSA. The Roadrunners, who now compete in the American Athletic Conference, are 8-10 (.444) overall and have lost four consecutive matches. Saturday's contest is set for a 11 a.m. start from the UTSA Tennis Center.