NATCHITOCHES – The Southland Conference opener between Northwestern State and Texas A&M-Commerce on Tuesday night pits some of the best on each side of the ball against each other in a head-to-head contest.
 
The Demons (5-4), in their first match in 10 days following an off week, send juggernaut outside hitters Teresa Garza and Reaghan Thompson to battle against the libero that leads the league and ranks in the top 20 in the country in digs per set so far this year in Commerce's Jade Smith. 
 
First serve between the Demons and the Lion is set for 6:30 p.m. and will air live on ESPN+. Admission to the match is free for all fans as NSU volleyball celebrates teacher appreciation night. 
 
Northwestern has relied on the talented right, and sometimes left, arms of Garza and Thompson to provide the bulk of the offense thus far this year. And thus far this year they have delivered.
 
Thompson ranks third in the Southland in kills per set at 3.94 and is second in the league in points per set at 4.53. She has seven double-digit kill matches this season with three 20-kill performances.
 
Meanwhile Garza is ahead of her career-best 300-300 pace from a season ago with nearly twice as many kills through nine matches this year as she had in 2023. She ranks fifth in the conference in kills per set, fifth in points per set and is the only outside in the top 10 in digs per set.
 
While the Demons continue to look for more production and consistency from their other offensive options, they will have to do so against Smith and a talented Lion back row that, despite the .242 opponent hitting percentage against, ranks among the best in the Southland.
 
Smith started the season with six straight 20-dig matches and picked up defensive player of the week honors on opening weekend after 79 digs in three matches with only three reception errors. She maintained the hot start and continues to lead the league with a 4.95 dig per set average, tied for the 17^th best in the NCAA.
 
As a team the Lions rank fourth in the conference in digs a 15.81 thanks to Smith and 2.5 per set averages from outside Reese Fetty and defensive specialist Millie Allgood.
 
Smith averaged more than 5.0 digs per set in two of the three matches against the Demons a year ago, but was held to just nine in the three set loss in the conference tournament, one off a season low.
 
In the young series between the two teams that saw two memorable five-set thrillers among the first three meeting as conference foes, the Demons dominated the two most recent affairs with straight set wins.
 
Northwestern cruised to a sweep on its home floor in late October a year ago before running away with the meeting in the conference tournament a few weeks later. The Demons hit better than .250 in both of those meetings with more than 40 kills across both three-set matches. They held the Lions to a sub-.100 attack in those two convincing Demon wins.