THIBODAUX – Following a regular season that ended in a three-way tie for the Southland Conference title, the Northwestern State women's tennis team now shifts its focus to postseason play as it opens the 2024 Southland Conference Tournament on Wednesday at 2 p.m. in Thibodaux. 

Northwestern State (9-7 overall, 8-1 SLC) earned the No. 3 seed in the tournament after a strong conference campaign and enters the bracket aiming to add to its championship legacy.  

"Every point is going to be fought for," says head coach Marcos Morelli. "Being disciplined and locked in will be the key factor for us."

The Lady Demons claimed a share of their sixth regular-season SLC title and first since 2022. They begin tournament play in the quarterfinals after receiving a first-round bye and will face the winner of Tuesday's opening-round matchup between No. 6 McNeese and No. 11 Nicholls. 

Northwestern State heads into the postseason looking to bounce back from its first conference loss of the season, a narrow 4-3 defeat against Stephen F. Austin in the regular-season finale.  

Despite the loss, the Lady Demons carry confidence and experience into Thibodaux, anchored by a veteran core that has seen deep tournament runs before. 

Among that core are seniors Tjasa Klevisar and Ayu Ishibashi, who are set to make their final Southland Conference Tournament appearances in NSU purple. 

Klevisar capped off her regular season with seven straight singles wins, bringing her singles record to 8-4 overall and 7-2 in SLC play. She was equally reliable in doubles, going 9-3 overall and 6-1 in conference, most notably teaming with freshman Pika Doberlet for a 7-3 mark. Klevisar currently is ranked among the top 25 in program history for career doubles wins. 

Ishibashi also delivered a strong close to her final season, picking up a straight-sets win over SFA's Villarreal (7-5, 6-2) to improve to 9-2 in singles and 7-2 in conference play. She currently has a career 43-13 overall singles record, placing her among the top five in school history for career singles winning percentage (.767) and among the top 25 in total career singles wins. 

Junior Sofi Garcia provided a highlight in Saturday's match against SFA, notching a straight-sets win at the No. 6 spot over Chavez. Garcia finishes the regular season with an 8-1 SLC record, giving the Lady Demons valuable depth in the lower part of the lineup. 

The Lady Demons aim to lean on their mix of veteran poise and young talent in pursuit of their first Southland Tournament title since 2015 — and with it, an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. 

"The girls are ready to compete regardless of the opponent," says Morelli. "There are a lot of good teams in this conference. Every match is going to be a fight."