NATCHITOCHES – As one final and crucial Southland Conference home match looms for the Northwestern State tennis team, so does a difficult goodbye for the team's two veteran members. 

 NSU (5-7, 4-5) faces Abilene Christian (11-11, 6-4) on Sunday at 11 a.m. with potential seeding implications for the upcoming conference tournament on the line. ACU is in fifth place, NSU currently resides in seventh place, possessing a tied conference record with Lamar. Lamar is currently in sixth place as a result of their 4-3 victory over the Lady Demons on Feb. 26.

Depending on the outcome of Sunday's match between Lamar and New Orleans, a win for NSU could potentially solidify their position as the fifth seed heading into postseason play. An NSU win and Lamar defeat would move them past six into the fifth spot, by virtue of a tiebreaker over ACU. If NSU and Lamar both win, NSU will lock into sixth place, with Lamar taking fifth.   

At 10:30 a.m. -- preceding the day's match -- the Lady Demons will celebrate the five-year careers of seniors Emilija Dancetovic and Judit Castillo Gargallo. Both arrived at NSU during the 2016-17 season, and since then have led the pack as champions of NSU ideals, both on and off the court.  

Dancetovic and Castillo Gargallo, both sporting successful careers as players, have also acted as model students within their respective fields of study. In each season played, both were named as ITA Scholar Athletes, an accolade offered to athletes of the sport who also achieve a GPA of 3.5 or higher that year. In 2019, both were also named first-team Southland Conference All-Academic student-athletes. 

"They have all of the values we instill here at NSU," head coach Jonas Brobeck said. "They are not just a part of this athletic department, but a significant part of this community, as well, and that's what it's all about. Family and relationships last longer than wins and losses, and they truly are Lady Demons through and through. 

Dancetovic and Castillo Gargallo both -- despite the challenges of adapting to a new way of life -- have found their niche and thrived within the Natchitoches community over the years.  

"The people really are what makes this place special," Castillo Gargallo said. "When we come here from the other side of the world, (finding) connections with people who have been part of NSU for longer -- people from the community and other student athletes -- really is special." 

Dancetovic echoed Castillo Gargallo's sentiments and spoke to the supportive environment NSU offered during her career. 

"It's tough when you come from so far away and you have to adapt to a very different way of life," Dancetovic said. "But the people around you help make this place feel like home, and I think that's a big part of (the culture) of NSU." 

Brobeck qualified the challenges both seniors spoke of regarding being international athletes and praised their ability to overcome those obstacles in becoming leaders for their team. 

 "Emma and Judit transitioned phenomenally into this life," Brobeck said. "Having such a rock-solid pair of leaders on and off the courts during such a challenging year has been invaluable to us as a team. We are so proud to have called them Lady Demons for the last five years and
are all looking forward to celebrating them on Sunday."