HAMMOND – The final weekend of regular-season play in the Southland Conference women's tennis race for Northwestern State is all about earning the best possible high seed for the upcoming SLC Tournament, with the Lady Demons visiting Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday morning at 11 and Nicholls Sunday morning at 10.

Northwestern, despite fielding a lineup with four freshmen, is tied for fourth in the 12-team league standings with a 6-3 league record as part of an overall 12-4 mark. Stephen F. Austin is in control of the championship race at 9-0 in the conference, having beaten second-place Texas State (8-1), with Texas-Arlington (7-2) in third. Lamar shares fourth with the Lady Demons.

Southeastern (9-10 overall, but 1-8 in the conference) and Nicholls (6-12 overall, 1-7 in the league) are not going to qualify for the conference tournament.

Senior Olga Bazhanova, who has topped the Lady Demons' lineup in singles and doubles for three seasons, is chasing history this weekend.

She is only the fourth player in school history to post at least 60 dual-match doubles wins. She is 14-2 this year with freshman Polina Konop and 61-20 for her career, six doubles wins shy of tying Bianca Schulz' record 67 from 2008-11. If she sweeps this weekend's matches, she will tie Graduate N Club Hall of Fame member Karen Patel's 63 wins from 1988-91.

In singles, Bazhanova can crack the career top 10 with two victories this weekend. She is 12-4 this season, 47-29 all-time. Graduate N Club Hall of Fame 2011 inductee Vicky Sims was 67-19 from 1989-92 to set the school singles wins mark. Ana Maria deFellippo went 49-33 from 1984-87 and is 10^th in school history in singles wins.

A sweep of the weekend matches would give the Lady Demons at least 14 wins for the fifth straight year, extending a streak of success unprecedented in school history.

The conference tournament is in two weeks at Nacogdoches, Texas.