NATCHITOCHES – Natalya Krutova's triumph at third singles sealed a 6-1 win for the Northwestern State tennis team over Sam Houston State Saturday afternoon at the Jack Fisher Tennis Complex.
 
The Lady Demons improved to 17-5 overall, 10-1 in the Southland as the Bearkats dropped to 4-12, 2-9. The win sets NSU up for a chance to claim the Southland regular-season championship with just one match left in regular-season play.
 
The Lady Demons host Southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday at 10:00, and with a win, will earn the program's fourth regular-season title, the first since 2010, and the number one seed heading into next weekend's Southland Conference Tournament in Corpus Christi, Texas.
 
Prior to Saturday's match, the Lady Demons honored lone senior Polina Konop for her hard work and dedication to the tennis program over the past three seasons. Konop aided in NSU's win with a 7-5, 6-1 victory at first singles and combined with Tatiana Larina for an 8-5 win at No. 1 doubles. In her three seasons as a Lady Demon, Konop has accumulated a 42-17 overall singles record, competing mostly at first and third, and a 45-11 mark at doubles, seeing most of her time at the No. 1 position.
 
Krutova and Kateryna Piatakova combined at No. 2 doubles to edge Olivia Battye and Karen Martinez 8-2, followed by Konop and Larina's win to secure the doubles point. Aliona Ladutska and Daniela Simonova led in the third slot 7-4 as the set went unfinished.
 
Piatakova finished first in singles at No. 4 with a 6-2, 6-3 triumph, followed by Larina winning with ease 6-1, 6-1 at No. 2. Krutova's win came next, and then Konop's. Ladutska was forced to retire in the No. 5 slot, and trailed Martinez 7-6 (3), 0-1 at the conclusion. Simonova edged Isabella Costa 6-4, 6-4 at sixth singles to cap the day.
 
Northwestern State will await seedings and match times for the Southland Conference Tournament after Tuesday's match with Southeastern. The tournament is slated to begin on Thursday at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.