CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - The Northwestern State women's tennis team heads to Texas for its final road trip of the 2017 regular season, taking on Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Saturday at noon and Incarnate Word on Sunday at 11 a.m.
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This will be the Lady Demons (12-6, 5-3) second-straight weekend facing a team owning or sharing the top spot in the Southland Conference standings.
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The Islanders (13-2, 6-1) took over the top spot when NSU handed Abilene Christian (14-5, 6-2) its second conference loss of the year in a 4-3 final with freshman Judit Castillo clinching the match in a three-set thriller.
The Lady Demons and the Islanders have met three times in the Southland Conference Tournament championship match since 2013. NSU won and advanced to the NCAA tournament in 2013,
while TAMU-CC took the championship in 2014 and 2016.
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"Corpus Christi has been one of our biggest rivals for the past years and we have a high respect for this program," Bazhanova said. "This weekend we have to play smart, stay consistent with the process and execute right."Â
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With three matches remaining in 2017, Northwestern State currently sits tied for fifth with New Orleans in the conference standings. New Orleans holds the tie breaker with a win over the Lady Demons earlier in the season.
"It is a pleasure to coach a group of girls who push one other in every practice, support each other on and off the court, and keep a unified team spirit," Bazhanova said. Â
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Taking down TAMU-CC will be a tall task. The Islanders are a perfect 6-0 in home matches this season. In seven conference matches, TAMU-CC owns a dominant 34-8 record in singles.
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UIW (5-16, 2-6), ineligible for postseason play during the Division I transition, has seen its fair share of road bumps this season. The Cardinals are 2-5 overall at home this year, but will certainly be looking to end their final home season match with a win.
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Freshman Judit Castillo watched from the sidelines for the first three matches of the season, but ever since debuting at the No. 6 singles position against UL Lafayette on February 9 she has racked up wins. The Spaniard is 11-2 in singles competition this season, winning nine of her last ten matches.
"We have very a determined group of girls who work hard daily on and off the court," Bazhanova said. "Our leaders are doing a great job on setting the tone for our freshman and I am happy to see the way our freshman respond each match."
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Castillo has also fared well in doubles. In five completed matches, she is 4-1 – all against Southland foes. Castillo played one match with fellow freshman Vladislava Litvinova before teaming up full-time with sophomore Iryna Vardanian in the No. 2 doubles position.
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"Judit is a fighter and she brings a lot of energy to the team - her results are not a surprise," Bazhanova said.
The Lady Demons return home Friday, April 14 for their final match of the regular season against Central Arkansas. The Sugarbears (15-5, 4-2) are currently a spot ahead of Northwestern State in the Southland standings.Â
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