NATCHITOCHES – After two weeks on the road, the Northwestern State Lady Demons tennis team gets its final competition at home Saturday at 11 before beginning defense of its 2014 Southland Conference championship next weekend at the Jack Fisher Tennis Complex.
 
NSU (1-6) will host Southern Mississippi (6-2) in an 11 a.m. match Saturday. A contest slated for Sunday against Alabama-Birmingham has been postponed due to the forecast for wet weather, and will be rescheduled later this season.
 
Next weekend, the Southland season begins for the Lady Demons at home against Central Arkansas. First-year NSU coach Olga Bazhanova, an assistant coach on last year's 20-5 conference championship team, is not alarmed by the team's record against a rugged non-conference schedule.
 
"I definitely would not judge our team by the record we have right now. We've had tight matches, and our girls are on the right track, looking forward to the conference race, very excited. The Demons are ready to go," she said.
 
"We've had some good wins individually. Our newcomers have done pretty well. It's not easy against the level of competition we've faced. I like the way we stay mentally strong and don't go backwards, and that's why we will ultimately be successful," said Bazhanova. "They're strong mentally and getting stronger every time we play."
 
Bazhanova downplayed injuries that have sidelined three players. Senior Amy Williams won't be able to play after surgery to remedy a chronic hip problem. Juinor Kateryna Piatakova, who was a first-team All-Southland Conference doubles performer last year while posting a 16-8 singles record, has not played yet this spring and freshman Maria Vlaskina also has been idled by injury so far.
 
Following two weekends of competition in Texas, the Lady Demons are very pleased to have two home weekends upcoming.
 
"We have the best crowd in the conference, for sure, and it's a huge advantage for us. Our girls love to stay home and play for them," said Bazhanova. "It doesn't matter how cold it's going to be, or how hot, we have the best fans out there."