RUSTON – Northwestern State's push to reach the NCAA Tournament for a second straight year and the fourth time this decade begins Friday as the Lady Demon tennis team opens the spring dual match season with a 1 p.m. match at Louisiana Tech.
 
NSU, 16-9 last spring, will have the Southland Conference season as its pathway to another postseason berth, but second-year coach Olga Bazhanova relies on a challenging non-conference schedule to strengthen her squad. Louisiana Tech (2-1) has turned around its tennis fortunes recently and handed NSU a 5-2 homecourt defeat almost exactly a year ago.
 
The neighborhood rivals often play in the same fall tournaments and have met annually for many years.
 
Topping the Lady Demons' lineup is senior Natalya Krutova, who can become the winningest player in school history with another outstanding season approaching her 2015 marks. Her 19-4 singles record last year raised her career mark to 50-15, tying for ninth in school history. She needs 18 wins to top Vicky Sims' school record 67-19 worksheet from 1989-92. Krutova was 19-3 in doubles last year, upping her career total to 53-11, also ninth all-time. She's also 18 away from Andrea Nedorostova's 71-11 record from 2010-13.
 
Only two other letterwinners are back, sophomores Polina Ivanova and Barbora Kollarova. Newcomers are junior Ilijana Ivic, sophomore Alzbeta Veverkova and freshmen Polina Mutel and Iryna Vardanian.
 
Continuing on the slate on 12 non-conference outings, NSU will travel Monday to SMU for a 5 p.m. match before opening the home season Wednesday at 1:30 against UL Monroe at the Jack Fisher Tennis Complex. The 11-match Southland season starts Feb. 28 at much-improved Central Arkansas.