ATLANTA, Georgia – Northwestern State volleyball embarks on its final tournament weekend of the season with a pair of matches at Georgia State.
 
The Lady Demons (7-5) already have more wins through non-conference play than any other season under head coach Sean Kiracofe, with a chance to match their best record since 2010.
 
In every other tournament this season the Lady Demons have played three matches. This weekend, they will scale back to just two, which is by design heading into Southland play next week.
 
"We've played a ton," Kiracofe said. "I think this group needed the opportunity to play with each other and to compete and just get comfortable with each other. We have a lot of returning talent, but we've moved some people around to different positions, so they needed some experience in that."
 
With 12 matches already under their belts, the team has seen plenty of different looks both on their own side and from opponents. It's no secret Hannah Brister has been, and will be, the Lady Demons' number one offensive option, with Alexis Warren serving as a quality number two. Brister ranks in the top-15 nationally in kills and Warren provides another angle and tons of experience teams must defend.
 
During the first 12 matches, and even in the final two before conference play, NSU has searched for a more varied and dynamic offense. In the last few outings, they seem to be finding more consistency from those options.
 
Darria Williams and Reagan Lee each had good numbers in the win against Prairie View A&M, and Kourtney Seaton has found her stride from her middle position.
 
This weekend the Lady Demons take on their fourth Sun Belt opponent of the year in Georgia State (3-6) and have their first-ever meeting with an Ivy League school in Brown (7-1).
 
"Georgia State is one of those teams that are capable of bearing anybody in the Sun Belt," Kiracofe said. "They've struggled the past couple years, but they have the talent and it's a matter of when they figure it out, they're pretty tough to play against."
 
The Lady Panthers are on a five-match losing streak that includes loses to Alabama and UAB this past weekend. During their opening weekend, they outlasted Lamar to earn their first win in a five-set thriller lasting more than three hours.
 
Georgia State has potentially the most balanced attack the Lady Demons have face this year, with four players with more than 50 kills and two at 60 or better.
 
Brown also brings a balanced effort to the match with NSU, having won six matches in a row entering the weekend. The Bears have three players with 60 or more kills, led by Makena Ehlert's 115.
 
"This is the second year for their head coach," Kiracofe said. "From watching video they're much improved from last year and that's to be expected with two springs to be able to train within that new system. They spread the ball out well. There isn't just one person that we can focus on defensively and that's going to make it tougher for us to be able to defend."
 
Live coverage of the Georgia State Invitational will be available through www.nsudemons.com. Stay connected to NSU volleyball by following @NSUDemonsVB on Twitter and Instagram or by liking Northwestern State volleyball on Facebook.