NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State's defending Southland Conference women's tennis team has saved the best for its last home weekend, with championship contenders Nicholls and McNeese State set to visit the Jack Fisher Tennis Complex.
 
When that will happen depends on the weather. Shifting from the original schedule of Saturday-Sunday play, NSU will host Nicholls Friday afternoon at 2, with the match against McNeese planned for Saturday at 11, after a Senior Day ceremony beforehand honoring Lady Demons Tatiana Larina and Amy Williams.
 
The teams all are chasing the only unbeaten in Southland play, Stephen F. Austin, with two weeks left in the regular season. SFA (12-5 overall, 6-0 in the Southland) has handed NSU (10-7, 6-1) its only loss and is scheduled to host Nicholls (15-4, 7-1) this weekend.  McNeese (10-5, 6-1) lost at home 6-1 to Nicholls on March 19 and plays at SFA on Friday.
 
"We don't have easy matches in our conference, but these two are going to be especially tough," said first-year coach Olga Bazhanova. "They are well coached, prepared to play at a high level. It will be competitive tennis and we'll have to play very well to win."
 
NSU's senior leaders have been impactful this season and throughout their careers, when the Lady Demons have an overall 58-26 record, last year's regular-season conference title, the 2013 Southland Tournament championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance. NSU is 31-8 in conference regular-season contests with Larina and Williams on the team.
 
Larina ranks among NSU's all-time leaders in career singles wins (53-24, tied for seventh in school history) and doubles victories (60-13, sixth all-time). Her career doubles winning percentage of .822 ranks second at NSU, behind former teammate Andrea Nedorostova's .866 (71-11) from 2010-13.
 
Williams has been forced to the sidelines this year due to hip surgery, but will graduate in May. She was last year's female recipient of the Southland Conference Steve McCarty Citizenship Award for remarkable community service and has been an officer on NSU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

"They're great students, great athletes, who have made a huge impact on this team, not only out on the tennis court. They gave a lot of good qualities to our program and set a very impressive example for our younger players and those coming in the future," said Bazhanova.
 
For updates on this weekend's schedule, check NSUDemons.com, follow the @NSUDemonsWTN Twitter account or visit the Facebook/NSUDemons page.