HATTIESBURG, Mississippi— The Northwestern State tennis team and interim head coach Patric DuBois are feeling confident and as they make their debut as a full-strength team at Southern Miss on Friday at noon.
 
The Lady Demons (0-3) have battled for the first month of the season with only five healthy players, one short of a required six to fill all match slots.
 
Sophomore Judit Castillo, who missed the first three matches with injury, will compete for the first time this season after compiling a 6-2 mark in the No. 5 slot and a 6-1 record in the No. 6 slot in singles this past season. Additionally, she had a 7-5 record overall in doubles.
 
"It's always nice to have a full-strength team," DuBois said. It's rare when you don't, but we were in that position, and we dealt with it the best we could.
 
"Knowing that we have six back, all six are healthy, all six are playing well and working hard, we hope to compete very well in Hattiesburg."
 
NSU forfeited one singles point in its first three matches and were at a disadvantage in doubles play. Teams need to win two of three doubles matches to capture the tie-breaker, and NSU forfeited one of those slots with just two doubles teams healthy.
 
Unable to fill a single and doubles slot this season, all six players are now more motivated than ever for victory.
  
"Going into a match knowing you've lost two matches by default is difficult from our perspective," said DuBois. "From the other team's perspective, it makes them a little more confident knowing they have free points."
 
Southern Miss (3-1) has been a regular opponent for NSU with the Lady Demons winning four of the past five matches.
 
"My expectations are that all six of these ladies compete as hard as they can, and the results will come if we do things the way we are capable and the way we're supposed to do them," said DuBois.