NACOGDOCHES, Texas – It's the weekend Northwestern State tennis players anticipate all year long.
 
The defending champion Lady Demons start the Southland Conference Women's Tennis Tournament with a Friday morning 11 o'clock match against Southeastern Louisiana.
 
NSU aims for more postseason magic in the tournament, which it has won three times (2010, 2013, 2015) in six years. The Lady Demons reached the championship match twice more this decade, in 2011 and 2014. The tournament winner earns an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
 
Second-year head coach Olga Bazhanova begins pointing her team toward the Southland Tournament from the opening day of fall workouts. The plan has been very successful.
 
"The Lady Demons have always fought with a big heart and showed a strong character on the court during the conference tournaments. The team knows what it takes to win and play well under the pressure," she said.
 
With 10 wins in their last 14 matches overall, including four in a row to end the season, the Lady Demons owned a 7-4 Southland record. Six of those conference matches were 4-3 decisions, with NSU prevailing in four, including three of the final four victories.
 
A Friday win would advance the third-seeded Lady Demons (11-10) to a semifinal against either second-seeded Stephen F. Austin, the host team, or No. 7 Central Arkansas. SLU, the sixth seed, is 14-8. Semifinals are Saturday at 2, with the championship match Sunday at 2, at the Schlief Tennis Center.
 
NSU topped the Lady Lions 4-3 on March 26 in Natchitoches, getting a decisive third-set win at No. 3 singles from freshman Polina Mutel who rallied to prevail 1-6, 6-4, 6-3.
 
"It was a tough match earlier in the season against Southeastern Louisiana and it will not be different Friday," said Bazhanova. "We will have to come out ready to play well and stay focused through the whole match.  We are looking forward to this weekend!"
 
SLU is led by the Southland's Player of the Year, No. 1 singles standout Renee Villarreal. NSU is topped by the team's only senior, Natalya Krutova, who was honorable mention All-Southland at No. 1 singles and earned her fourth straight all-conference award with a  second-team selection at No. 1 doubles alongside sophomore teammate Polina Ivanova.
 
In the March 26 match, NSU won the doubles point with Krutova/Ivanova posting a clinching 6-4 win over Villarreal and Dalina Dahlmans. The Lady Demons scored singles wins at No. 2 (freshman Iryna Vardanian in straight sets), Mutel at No. 3 and Ivanova at No. 4 (with a 12-10 triumph in a first-set tiebreaker, than a 6-2 second-set clincher).