TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Natalya Krutova and Tatiana Larina, the top returning players on the reigning Southland Conference champion Northwestern State women's tennis team, lead the Lady Demons competing in this weekend's USTA/ITA Southern Regional Championships.
 
They combine in doubles and are part of the singles draw for the event which begins Friday morning, involving teams from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
 
Krutova and Larina open play in doubles at 9 a.m Friday against a Tulane tandem (Vanessa Nommensen/Emily Dvorak) with potential future matchups against teams from Alabama, LSU, Ole Miss and Auburn, among others, in a 64-team bracket.
 
Another Lady Demons' doubles team, Kateryna Piatakova and Polina Ivanova, have a 9 a.m. first-round match Friday also against a Tulane twosome, Kyla Klier and Naz Karagoz.
 
Larina drew a first-round bye in singles and will play Noel Scott of LSU in the second round Friday at 3.
 
Krutova opens Friday at 1 against Louise Ronaldson of Mississippi State.