NATCHITOCHES – With a chance to etch their names into the program's history books, the Northwestern State tennis team takes the court Monday afternoon with more than just pride on the line. 

The Lady Demons (8-6, 7-0) welcome Southeastern (12-7, 3-5) to the Jack Fisher Tennis Complex for a crucial Southland Conference matchup that carries postseason implications and emotional significance. First serve is set for 11 a.m. 

Monday marks Senior Day for the Lady Demons, who will honor the careers of Ayu Ishibashi and Tjasa Klevisar—two veterans whose leadership and consistency have helped anchor the program during a season full of momentum.  

Both players will be recognized prior to the match for their contributions on and off the court. 

"Tjasa and Ayu have grown tremendously as players and as individuals over the past four years," said head coach Marcos Morelli. "They've represented Northwestern State with the highest level of integrity and pride. Their roles evolved throughout their time here, and throughout it all, they remained exceptional teammates and emerged as impactful leaders." 

Both have accomplished amazing feats in the Demons uniform.  

Klevisar has been a model of consistency throughout her four years with the program, never missing a single conference match—going a perfect 27-for-27. She ranks among the top 25 in program history for career doubles wins and has earned player of the week honors twice. 

Ishibashi accumulated a ton of success as well. With her 42-12 record all time, that puts her in the top 5 of career singles win percentages and top 25 in career singles wins. Ishibashi has received All-SLC recognition in first, second and third teams. 

"It's been a rollercoaster," said Klevisar. "It's been a lot of fun, but it's also bittersweet—this is my last match in front of the home crowd. Being a student-athlete has been a real learning experience—figuring out how to stay on top of school while competing in a sport like tennis. Learning to manage everything, meeting new teammates, making new friends… it's something I'll really miss." 

The Lady Demons enter the match with a shot at least a share of the Southland Conference regular season title—a potential first under Morelli's leadership.  

The two seniors will rely on their teammates to help ensure that the strong start to the day finishes just as perfectly by the end of the match. 

Despite suffering her first loss of the season and of conference play, Sofi Garcia will be a factor if the Lady Demons get the victory. 

Garcia enters Monday's match with a 6-1 record on the season. Despite a tough loss to McNeese, she's looking to bounce back with a strong performance and set the tone for the Lady Demons. 

Maria Farina, who played a key role in Saturday's comeback win and aim to carry that momentum forward and make another strong impact in the upcoming match. 

Southeastern enters the match after falling to SLC opponent SFA on Saturday.  

The Lions currently sit sixth in the conference with two matches remaining, and they'll be determined to stay in the hunt. They hold a one-match lead over UIW and a two-match edge over New Orleans. Expect a highly motivated Lions' pride to show up ready to fight. 

"I'm excited," said Morelli. "But we have two very tough matches ahead of us. Our focus right now is on Southeastern—they're a strong in-state rival, and we need to be ready." 

As the regular season winds down and the postseason approaches, Monday's match serves as both a celebration and a statement opportunity. For the Lady Demons, a win would secure at least a share of the SLC regular-season title before finishing the regular season with a crucial road test against third-place Stephen F. Austin on April 19 in Nacogdoches, Texas, in a rescheduled match.