HATTIESBURG, Mississippi – The Northwestern State tennis team begins its season with a round robin, where it will play two meets at Southern Miss, starting with a match against UT-Chattanooga on Saturday.

The first match of the season against UTC takes place at 11 a.m. at the Southern Miss Tennis Complex.

Northwestern State rounds out the weekend with a contest against homestanding USM at 11 a.m. on Sunday.

"We are working to put ourselves in a position to win the championship," second-year head coach Marcos Morelli. "Being competitive every match and being in a position to go out there and win is the key for this team."

NSU aims to improve upon last year's season where they finished as the sixth seed in the Southland Conference, reaching the semifinals in the conference tournament. The Lady Demons finished 11-9, going 3-4 in conference play.

Seniors Tjasa Klevisar and Ayu Ishibashi lead the Lady Demons.

"Both girls are huge to have on our team," says Morelli. "Their presence is essential. What they bring to the court and outside of the court is amazing. Their leadership is what brings this team closer together. We are glad to have them."

Klevisar played well in the 2024 season, going 8-8 in singles play, 4-4 in SLC, and 11-7 in doubles, 4-2 when paired up with now sophomore Maria Farina.

Ishibashi had a standout year in her junior season, posting an 8-2 record, and going 1-0 in SLC play. She went on a hot streak of winning eight in a row during the season, winning Southland Conference Player of the Week once. At doubles, Ishibashi ended the year going 6-4 overall.

Junior Sofi Garcia, a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, native looks to continue her dominant play from last year, recording a 15-5 mark in singles while going 8-1 in SLC play. In the No. 3 spot, Garcia thrived, posting a 10-2 record.

The Lady Demons added three new faces to their squad—Zoi Spyrou, Pika Doberlet, and Valeria Ortega.

"It's been fun watching them improve and grow," Morelli said. "They have improved, we can see that potential. They have grown to a place where they can be very successful, as long as they keep working and believing in themselves. They can become the next leaders in years to come."

Spyrou, a junior transfer from Tyler Junior College, made her presence known during the fall play to begin her Lady Demons career. Spyrou reached the semifinals in her draws at the

Natchitoches Lady Demon Invitational, while also winning the doubles draw pairing up with Klevisar.

Doberlet, a freshman from Šenčur, Slovenia, showed up at the Lady Demons Invitational in doubles, pairing up with sophomore Maria Farina, and winning the Consolation Finals of the tournament.

This is the first meeting between the Lady Demons and UT Chattanooga, while USM opens the season against UT Chattanooga on Friday.

So far this season, the Mocs are posting a 1-3 record, with a win over Tennessee's Lee University. Last year, the Mocs ended the year with an 8-14 record and a 1-6 record in conference losing in the first round of their conference tournament.

Following the trip to Mississippi, the Demons return home for the first team this season to for three of the next four, beginning with North Texas on Feb. 9