HAMMOND- The Northwestern State women's tennis team heads south to Hammond to compete in the Southland Conference Masters.
 
"It's another opportunity to compete," head coach Marcos Morelli says. "We look at it as one more tournament, so the approach hasn't changed; play simple tennis."
 
Two Lady Demons are making the trip: junior transfer Zoi Spyrou and sophomore Honoka Umeda.
 
Play begins with the pair playing in doubles on Friday in the second round, receiving a bye on the first day, as they play Texas-A&M Corpus Christi's Ksenia Ramanouskaya and Yana Mykytyn at 11 a.m.
 
Umeda competes in the singles tournament later in the day, playing the winner of the first-round bout between UT Rio-Grande Valley's Yaiza Vazquez and McNeese's Salmone Fluri.
 
Umeda won all three rounds in her bracket last time out at the UCA Invitational.
 
"It is great preparation for the upcoming season," says Morelli. "The best players in the conference are competing, and ours included."
 
The Masters Tournament begins Thursday at 2 p.m. and flows through Sunday.