BATON ROUGE, La. — The Northwestern State Lady Demons opened the spring season Saturday with a challenging road matchup, falling 7–0 to No. 5 LSU at the LSU Tennis Complex.

Despite the scoreline, third-year head coach Marcos Morelli noted his team's competitiveness throughout the match.

"The girls competed hard and stayed committed to the process from start to finish," Morelli said. "It was a tough environment, and the effort and fight were there on every court."

LSU claimed the opening doubles point by sweeping all three matches, beginning at the No. 1 position where Kinaa Graham and Addison Lanton defeated Lolita Hukasian and Honoka Umeda, 6–1.

The Tigers followed with a 6–3 win at No. 3 doubles by Florentine Dekkers and Ioana Sava over Martina Acebedo Bonocore and Athina Grigoriadou, before Kenna Erickson and Alexia Marginean closed doubles play with a 6–2 victory against Pika Doberlet and Maria Farina at No. 2.

In singles action, LSU extended its lead with a forfeit at the No. 6 position before Alexia Marginean earned a 6–1, 6–1 win over Hukasian at No. 5 singles.

Florentine Dekkers followed with a 6–1, 6–1 decision against Grigoriadou at the No. 2 spot.

Kenna Erickson added another point at No. 3 singles, defeating Acebedo 6–2, 6–0, before No. 78 Addison Lanton secured a 6–1, 6–0 win over Farina at the top of the lineup.

The final match on court came at No. 4 singles, where No. 81 Kinaa Graham held a 7–5, 2–1 lead over Doberlet before the match was retired.

Facing one of the nation's elite programs provided an early benchmark for the Lady Demons as they begin the 2026 campaign.

"Matches like this show the level of consistency and discipline required at the highest level," Morelli said. "If we keep working every day and trust the process, this experience will help us grow."

Morelli added that the focus moving forward remains on execution and sustained competitiveness.

"We need to continue improving our execution under pressure and maintaining our level for longer stretches," he said. "That comes from competing hard and being intentional with our work every day."

NSU remains in Baton Rouge for its next matchup, facing Xavier (La.) on Sunday with first serve scheduled for 10 a.m. at the LSU Tennis Complex.

"We expect another tough match, and our focus has to be on competing hard on every point," Morelli said. "The message is simple: take the lessons, reset, and be ready to compete again. Tomorrow is another opportunity to show our growth."

Northwestern State Lady Demons - Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Louisiana State University - LSU Tennis Complex
LSU 7, Northwestern State 0

Singles
1. #78 Addison Lanton (LSU) def. Maria Farina (NSU) 6-1, 6-0
2. Florentine Dekkers (LSU) def. Athina Grigoriadou (NSU) 6-1, 6-1
3. Kenna Erickson (LSU) def. Martina Acebedo Bonocore (NSU) 6-2, 6-0
4. #81 Kinaa Graham (LSU) def. Pika Doberlet (NSU) 7-5, 2-1, retired
5. Alexia Marginean (LSU) def. Lolita Hukasian (NSU) 6-1, 6-1
6. Ioana Sava (LSU) def. No player (NSU), by forfeit
 
 
Doubles
1. Kinaa Graham/Addison Lanton (LSU) def. Lolita Hukasian/Honoka Umeda (NSU) 6-1
2. Kenna Erickson/Alexia Marginean (LSU) def. Pika Doberlet/Maria Farina (NSU) 6-2
3. Florentine Dekkers/Ioana Sava (LSU) def. Martina Acebedo Bonocore/Athina Grigoriadou (NSU) 6-3
 
Match Notes:
Northwestern State 0-1
LSU 1-0; National ranking #5
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (6,5,2,3,1,4)
Official: Richie Weaver