Ela Iwaniuk
Chris Reich, NSU Photographic Services

Lady Demons look to remain perfect in conference against rival SFA

4/8/2019 7:55:00 PM

NACOGDOCHES, Texas-- The league-leading Northwestern State Lady Demons tennis team wraps up its road schedule Tuesday with a trip to Stephen F. Austin at the Schlief Tennis Complex, looking to keep a perfect Southland Conference record intact.

The 3 p.m. match was originally scheduled for Sunday, but was pushed back two days due to inclement weather. It will be the first of three conference contests this week for NSU, which is bidding for its first Southland regular-season championship since 2014.

The Lady Demons host fellow league-leader Abilene Christian Friday at 11 a.m. in a contest that could determine the title.

Four Lady Demons (16-3 overall, 8-0 Southland) have reached double digits in overall wins, led by junior Ela Iwaniuk's 14. She is a perfect 8-0 in conference, as is redshirt freshman Rhea Verma, who is right behind Iwaniuk in total wins with 13.

Stephen F. Austin (6-11, 2-6) has lost its last four overall and its past five conference matches. Four of those five matches have been shutout defeats for the Ladyjacks.

The other NSU two players who have hit double digits in wins are junior Judit Castillo Gargallo (12) and sophomore Patrycja Polanska (10).

Castillo Gargallo and partner Emilija Dancetovic lead the Demons with 13 doubles wins, mostly at No. 3, and are 5-2 in conference play. At No. 2, Polanska and Verma also have five conference wins, and are 12-5 overall.

NSU returns to Natchitoches for the final two matches of the regular season. After Friday's match against ACU at the Jack Fisher Tennis Complex, Incarnate Word concludes the conference race on Sunday.

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