NATCHITOCHES – The Northwestern State Lady Demons welcome a team that may have more connection to Northwestern State than a Rhode Island team should.

The match is set to begin Wednesday, March 12, at the Jack Fisher Lady Demon Complex at 11 a.m.

The Lady Demons (4-5, 4-0) are riding a four-match win streak into battle against Rhode Island.

"The girls have been working very hard since August," says head coach Marcos Morelli. "We've played four tough matches and are competing hard in those matches. We will continue to compete hard in the upcoming matches as well."

NSU is coming off a thrilling 4-3 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on March 10. This win snapped the Islanders' 28-match Southland Conference winning streak.

Zoi Spyrou won the No. 1 singles match in straight sets, defeating Ana Veroux 6-2, 7-5.

Honoka Umeda displayed tenacity at No. 2 singles, overcoming Leticia Tarocco 6-1, 2-6, 6-1.

Tjasa Klevisar dominated at No. 3 singles with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Yana Mykytyn.

Sofi Garcia clinched the match with a convincing 6-0, 6-3 win at No. 6 singles against Juliette Jalai.

The Rams (8-2) have been in strong form this season. After a four-match winning streak, they suffered a setback on March 2, losing 5-2 to Brown University.

"This match will be decided by who brings more intensity and aggression," says Morelli. "Our goal is to be that team."

This match is especially significant because Rhode Island's head coach, Jonas Brobeck, previously served on the Lady Demons' coaching staff from 2018 to 2022, including two years as head coach from 2020 to 2022.

During his tenure with the Lady Demons, Brobeck led the team to an undefeated conference record, won the Southland Conference title in 2022, and earned Coach of the Year honors.

"Coach Brobeck is doing an outstanding job at URI," says Morelli. "I know the team over there is well coached and will fight hard. We are both very excited about playing each other."

Afer this match, the Lady Demons hit the westward road, traveling to Stephenville, Texas, to take on Tarleton on Saturday, March 15. The match is set to begin at 11 a.m.