By: By Aaron Ferguson, Sports Information Graduate Assistant
DALLAS, Texas – With momentum at its back, the Northwestern State tennis team is bent on taking advantage of an opportunity to cover some lost ground from earlier this season.
NSU (4-3, 3-3) places its three-match win streak on the line, as it travels to face Southern Methodist (11-7, 4-0) on Saturday 2 p.m. at the SMU Tennis Complex.
The originally scheduled match between the two programs was set for Feb. 15 as part of the Lady Demons' nonconference slate. However, adverse travel conditions due to poor weather led to its postponement.
Head coach Jonas Brobeck relishes the chance for his Lady Demons to square off against a tough opponent, as they begin to hit their stride as a team.
"Matches are definitely the best form of practice," Brobeck said. "So being able to play a quality team like SMU on an off week from Southland competition really awards us with a great opportunity to see where we are heading into the second half of our season."
A number of players on NSU's roster have complied noteworthy bodies of work leading into the match with the Mustangs. Emilija Dancetovic leads the pack at 6-1 in singles.
In doubles competition, Dancetovic and partner Dorota Szczygielska remain undefeated through their first seven matches. Dancetovic is currently 19th in all-time career doubles wins (44) for Northwestern State.
Senior Judit Castillo Gargallo also continues to produce for the Lady Demons. Her and Viktorie Wojcikova aim to build upon a three-match win streak, which began at Nicholls on March 7.
Castillo Gargallo remains on the cusp of a number of career accolades, as she continues to climb the Lady Demons' all-time leaderboard. Her next singles victory will elevate her to ninth all-time in career singles wins (53), while she also boasts a career singles win percentage of .722 – good enough for ninth all-time.
Freshman Mariella Minetti and doubles teammate Patrycja Polanska have proven to be a potent combination in the No. 1 slot. The pair head into competition with SMU looking to extend their streak to five, which began with their 7-6 win over New Orleans on March 5. Through their last three doubles matches, the duo has not allowed the opposition to win more than three games.
SMU currently holds a 7-1 all-time advantage over NSU. The Lady Demons' lone victory over the Mustangs was a 4-3 decision in 2014.
"I'm excited to see the girls compete on Saturday," Brobeck said. "This team is definitely getting better with each match, and SMU gives us another chance to build on our last couple of wins and continue growing."
