NATCHITOCHES – For the first time in 2023, the Northwestern State tennis team plays at home as it welcomes Xavier on Saturday at 1 p.m. 

NSU (0-1) is coming off a 7-0 defeat in its season opener against TCU. 

The Lady Demons have won their past six home openers. Northwestern State and Xavier have only met once before, which came in 2019, a Lady Demons 6-1 win. 

This is Xavier's first match of the season, which went 14-15 last season and was a quarterfinalist at NAIA nationals. 

Ayu Ishibashi, a sophomore from Chiba, Japan, is one of the leaders on the team, playing at the top spot in the singles rotation. She went 6-0 in league play and 14-2 overall last season at No. 4 singles. 

Ishibashi's 14 wins at No. 4 singles are tied for fourth all-time in NSU history for a single season. 

"I'm so excited that we are here," Ishibashi said, talking about the season's home opener. 

Dorota Szczygielska, junior from Gydnia, Poland, who missed the whole 2022 season due to a back injury is excited to be back on the court and competing. 

"I'm just more confident," Szczygielska said. "And I think having this break also helped me." 

Brobeck expresses how important it is for his team to overcome injuries and play with confidence. 

"Getting your team healthy is the most important thing," Brobeck said. "Seeing the girls practicing well and starting to compete well, it's great. We're getting better every single day." 

The Gold Nuggets are ranked in No. 6 in the NAIA preseason polls. They are ranked in the preseason top 25 for the 11th consecutive season and the 17th time in their last 18 seasons. 

Kareemah Muhammad, a sophomore, is a stalwart at the top of the rotation for XULA. As a freshman, she was named an NAIA Second Team All-American and earned Red River Athletic Conference Player of the Year. 

In the fall, Muhammad reached the semifinals of the women's singles A bracket during the fall season at the NAIA Gulf ITA Regional before being forced to withdraw due to injury. 

Another sophomore, Juliette Finch, was named NAIA Honorable Mention All-American following her freshman campaign last spring. 

"Xavier is a really good team," head coach Jonas Brobeck said. "They are going to challenge us, but we just got to keep focusing on us." 

Following the match, the Lady Demons head to Hattiesburg, Miss., for a pair of contests, Feb. 3 and 4, where they will face Jackson State and Southern Mississippi.