Lamar sports information

CORPUS CHRISTI — The Lamar men’s tennis team entered the day as Southland Conference co-champion facing rival Texas A&M-Corpus Christi for the outright title.

The knowledge of winning a second consecutive conference title could not lessen the sting of a 6-1 setback to the Islanders Friday afternoon at the Thomas J. Henry Tennis Complex.

Friday’s outcome is not representative of the Cardinals’ (15-7, 4-1 Southland) body of work over the course of the season. The Cardinals locked up a share of the title before the match ever started, which is the first time LU has won back-to-back titles since the 1975 and 1976 seasons.

LU has been the league’s most dominant team over the course of the past two seasons. Friday’s loss is the team’s first regular-season conference loss since April 7, 2015, a stretch that included 12 matches. The Cardinals have also posted 36 overall wins during that stretch and will now turn their attention to the Southland Conference Championships in Beaumont.

The Cardinals will be back in action Saturday, April 29, when they open play in the Southland Conference tournament semifinals. All matches will be played at the Beaumont Municipal Tennis Complex and admission is free.