COMMERCE, Texas – Northwestern State volleyball continues to find ways to win, even against long odds, which continues to fuel one necessary intangible to its success, energy.
 
That energy was evidenced in two clear moments in Thursday's 3-2 home win against Nicholls. 
 
The Lady Demons (12-7, 5-3) separated themselves from the Colonels in the fourth set on back-to-back kills from Breanna Burrell and Reaghan Thompson to force a decisive fifth set. Down 12-6 in the fifth, a thunderous kill from Jordan Gamble and a marksman-like ace from Piper Boystun set the Demon off on the match winning 9-1 run.
 
Just two points in both cases that started an avalanche of confidence, energy and an overall ease and flow of the game that led to set wins.
 
"It might take just one or two points but if we can get that energy going it's huge," Thompson said following Thursday's epic fifth-set comeback. "We got our mojo back and fought through to the end to win it."
 
On Saturday, NSU looks to start with, and maintain, that same intense energy against an opponent it has never faced before in Texas A&M-Commerce.
 
The first meeting between the new Southland Conference foes is set for a 1 p.m. first serve and can be seen on ESPN+. Live stat links of the match will also be available at www.nsudemons.com or on the NSU Athletics mobile app.
 
The spark that ignites the six players on the floor can, and has, come from multiple sources. The Demons' foursome of Gamble, Thompson, Burrell and Symone Wesley have provided the most ignition plays this year with their offense and blocking, but the relentlessness of the backline with Ashlyn Svoboda and Laura Weatherford have kept the opportunities going for the kill shot.
 
Whether from the bench or on the court itself, Perry Flannigan has been a propellant of the energy the Lady Demons have played with throughout the season, helping fan the flame as best she can.
 
"I think it comes a lot from my sports history," she said. "I grew up with two brothers and my dad has been a football coach my whole life so being around that environment and how they brought the energy when it's not there, there's always that competitiveness. Who can be better than one person in this or that? Especially when it's dead you have to bring it yourself. If no one else will, you have to."
 
The Lions (8-14, 4-4) enter the match winners of three in a row and fresh off a 3-0 sweep of Southeastern in one of their most efficient performances of the year.
 
With just two unforced hitting errors in the match against Southeastern, and seven overall in three sets, Commerce had its third best match of the season in terms of attack percentage and the sixth of the year with a .250 or higher team mark.
 
"They've done really well," head coach Sean Kiracofe said. "They're coming from a very good volleyball conference in the Lone Star that had the Division II National Champion a couple of years ago. Commerce, for the most part, has been up near the top of it every year. 
 
"I'm not surprised at all they've been able to come in and compete right away and they just play pretty smart, low-error volleyball which is always going to put you in positions to win."
 
The have the second-best team hitting percentage in Southland matches this year with the lowest total errors. On the other side of the coin however, Commerce has the third highest opponent hitting percentage against SLC foes at .211 along a league-most 14.13 kills per set.