NATCHITOCHES – After starting the season with three road matches, the Northwestern State tennis team will step inside the friendly confines of the Jack Fisher Tennis Complex for the first time this season when the Lady Demons host Loyola-New Orleans on Saturday. 

NSU (1-2) will host the Wolfpack (0-1) in one match, beginning at noon.

The weekend was originally scheduled to feature four matches (doubleheaders vs. Loyola and LSU-Alexandria), but the schedule was reduced because of a combination of weather issues and a limited number of available NSU players because of COVID-19 protocols. The doubleheader against LSU-A is expected to be rescheduled for a later date. 

"It's exciting to come home and get a chance to play where we practice," said second-year NSU coach Jonas Brobeck. "We get to start a series of home matches for the next three weekends, and we're looking forward to going to work and getting better. 

"It's an advantage to sleep in our own beds for an extended period of time and prepare and fine tune our games. We have a great group of fans, and it's going to be great to see that support." 

NSU will still enjoy a five-match homestand in which the Lady Demons bring in Texas State, Stephen F. Austin, UTSA and Southern Miss in the next two weekends. 

Loyola is facing its second Southland Conference opponent after Nicholls logged a 7-0 victory against the Wolfpack. Loyola entered the season as the No. 21 squad in the NAIA and features Lucy Carpenter, an honorable mention LSWA All-Louisiana honoree from this past season. 

"Loyola is a talented team, and they'll come in and compete," Brobeck said. "We're continuing to work on our depth and focus on minor things in our game." 

The Lady Demons are coming off a 4-0 loss at Tulane in which NSU nearly took the doubles point and challenged in multiple singles contests. 

The pairing of Mariella Minetti and Tjasa Klevisar won in the No. 1 slot 6-4, and the No. 3 tandem of Gig Kanaphuet and Ayu Ishibashi were within in reach, falling 6-4. 

Minetti and Ishibashi each pushed their singles opponent to 7-5 in the first set of singles before leading in their respective second sets until the Green Wave clinched the match win. Ishibashi led her foe Kristen Borland 3-0 in the second set. 

Minetti and Klevisar are both 1-0 in singles play so far with unfinished matches against TCU and Tulane. Minetti won a set off TCU's Stevie Kennedy before their match went unfinished in a 4-0 TCU win. 

NSU began the season with a 6-1 win against a competitive UT Tyler squad (NCAA Division II).