MOBILE, Alabama – The Northwestern State women's tennis team returns to action Friday at South Alabama to take on the Jaguars after rain postponed its match earlier this week.
 
The Lady Demons (0-3) continue to play hard and put everything on the court despite what their record shows.
 
"The results were not what we wanted early into the season," second-year head coach Marcos Morelli said. "However, we are competing hard and improving which is preparing us for Southland Conference matches."
 
"Players know what to work on and what to do in matches," says Morelli. "We now need to execute this process more often."
 
Honoka Umeda has begun the season undefeated, posting a 2-0 record in singles play, beating out UT Chattanooga's Rozalie Dohnalova and North Texas' Gianna Pielet at the No.1 slot.
 
NSU's match scheduled for earlier this week against LSU-Alexandria was postponed due to inclement weather. The new date for that match has not yet been announced.
 
The Lady Demons aim to win at Mobile for the first time in team history (0-4), with the last matchup being in 1992.
 
The Jaguars (3-1) come into this match with dominant wins over the West Alabama and the West Florida, beating both teams 6-1, while also beating Kennesaw State in a 4-3 nailbiter. Their only loss came at the hands of Tulane, losing 4-3 in New Orleans.
 
"We expect a tough and competitive match," Morelli said. "We are looking forward to having another opportunity to compete against a quality opponent prior to conference play."
 
Following the match, the Demons return home to Natchitoches for a matchup against UL Monroe on Feb. 20 at 1:30 p.m. before heading out on a tour of Louisiana starting in Ruston for a match against Louisiana Tech on Feb. 22 at 11 a.m.