BEAUMONT, Texas — Lamar University faces its first Power Four opponent since 2023 when it travels to Houston for a midweek matchup Tuesday.

The Cardinals have five games remaining on their 10-game road trip.
OFFENSIVE CATALYST: Maja Malinowska is closing in on two career milestones, needing 186 kills to reach 1,000 career kills and 69 points to reach 1,000 career points … Chelsea Grant was the last Cardinal to surpass 1,000 career kills from 2013-16 … Malinowska ranks fifth in the Southland Conference with 57 kills and 64.5 points … She ranks second on the team with 46 digs.

SETTING THINGS UP: Alexa Gonzalez is approaching a career milestone, needing 115 assists to reach 2,000 for her career … Haley Morton was the last Cardinal to surpass 2,000 career assists, posting 2,112 assists from 2015-17 … Gonzalez ranks first on the team with 78 assists.

TOP BLOCKER: Saida Maksoud leads the team with 15 total blocks while she ranks ninth in the Southland Conference … Maksoud recorded a match-high seven block assists against North Texas on Aug. 30.

PINPOINT SERVICE: Katelyn Hughes ranks seventh in the Southland Conference with eight service aces … Hughes also ranks second on the team with 77 assists and third with 29 digs.

GO, GABBY, GO: Gabby Baker ranks 10th in the Southland Conference with 57 digs … Baker etched her name into the record book last season, recording 602 digs to tie Andrea Hamilton's single-season program record set in 2007.

TOP FIVE: The Cardinals rank fifth in the Southland Conference with 36.5 total blocks, including six total blocks and 61 block assists … Last season, the Cardinals ranked among the Southland Conference's top three in six statistical categories, leading the league in digs (2,029) … LU also finished second in service aces (194), blocks (263.5) and points (1,883.5) while placing third in kills (1,426) and assists (1,351).

POWER FOUR: Lamar's match against Houston marks the programs first against a Power Four opponent since facing Maryland of the Big Ten in 2023 … It will also be the Cardinals' first match against a Big 12 opponent since meeting Texas Tech in 2017 … Lamar is 103-186-3 (.358) all-time against Power Four programs and has faced 54 different schools … The Cardinals' last victories over teams now classified as Power Four opponents came in September 2002 against Houston and Boston College.

ROAD WARRIOR: Lamar's 10-game road trip is the team's longest since opening the 2023 season with a 12-game road swing.

RETURNING HOME: Lamar has won it past two home openers, in 2024 and 2025, marking the program's first consecutive home-opening victories since 2018 and 2019 … The Cardinals have also posted back-to-back winning seasons at home for the first time since 2014-15, compiling a 15-6 record during that span … Lamar opens its home schedule Friday, Sept. 18, against North Dakota in the opening match of the Lamar Invitational.   Lamar vs. Houston: This marks the 49th meeting between the two programs since the series began in 1976 … The teams last met Sept. 10, 2019, in Beaumont … Houston has won the last eight meetings while Lamar's most recent victory in the series came Sept. 10, 2002. CATCHING UP: Houston enters the match with a 4-1 record and a three-game winning streak after victories over Texas Southern, Abilene Christian and Houston Christian … The Cougars' roster features 13 newcomers, including eight transfers and five freshmen.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Sydney Jones, Jr., OH (82 kills) | Kalei Edson, Jr., S (193 assists | Nine service aces | 10 kills) | Mattie Casale, So., L (77 digs) | Tara Greenbery, So., MB (16 total blocks | 25 kills).

RECAPPING LAST SEASON: Houston finished 9-20 overall and 2-16 in Big 12 play last season … The Cougars' most recent winning season came in 2023, when they posted a 19-10 record.