NATCHITOCHES — Northwestern State battled throughout the lineup Saturday afternoon at the Jack Fisher Tennis Complex, but unbeaten South Alabama proved too steady down the stretch, earning a 4–0 victory over the Lady Demons.

The Jaguars (5–0) secured the doubles point and clinched the contest with three singles victories, while three additional courts remained unfinished.

Head coach Marcos Morelli credited South Alabama's consistency after the match.

"Congratulations to South Alabama," Morelli said. "They earned a very good win."

USA struck first in doubles.

Manal Ennaciri and Kena Elakili defeated Honoka Umeda and Lolita Hukasian 6–1 at the No. 1 position.

Although Sofi Garcia and Lija Mumlek responded with a 6–3 win at No. 3, the decisive point came at No. 2, where Rio Maeda and Jana Rovira edged Martina Acebedo Bonocore and Athina Grigoriadou in a tight 7–6 tiebreak.

In singles, the Jaguars carried that momentum forward.

Kena Elakili gave South Alabama its second point with a 6–4 win at No. 6 after Lija Mumlek retired.

Manal Ennaciri followed with a 6–2, 6–4 victory over Athina Grigoriadou at No. 2, and Jana Rovira clinched the match at No. 4, defeating Lolita Hukasian 6–2, 7–5.

Despite the final score, NSU (4–3) showed competitiveness across multiple courts.

At No. 1 singles, Honoka Umeda was locked in a tight battle with Rio Maeda before play was halted, trailing 3–6, 1–2.

Martina Acebedo Bonocore continued her strong early-season form, taking the first set 7–5 against Cristina Tchanichev before the match went unfinished early in the second.

At No. 5, Sofi Garcia split sets with Jade Marie, winning the opener 6–3 before falling 6–4 in the second before the match was called.

Morelli said the match served as an important measuring stick, particularly with conference play approaching.

"You're 100 percent right," Morelli said when asked about facing a top-tier opponent. "We talked about it before the match, and we'll talk about it again before Sunday. The details are the difference. We have to stick to our process from start to finish, especially in the close moments."

He emphasized that execution in tight situations ultimately separated the two sides.

"When the score gets close, that's when we have to trust our process the most," Morelli said. "You have to identify how you're winning or losing points. Are you winning with a good process or not? If you're following the process and still lose a point, that's okay. But you have to assume your opponent is following their process all the time. That's what South Alabama did. They had a good process."

NSU will look to apply those lessons quickly as Tarleton State visits the Jack Fisher Tennis Complex on Sunday, with doubles set to begin at 11 a.m.

USA 4, NSU 0
Northwestern State Lady Demons - Natchitoches, Louisiana
Northwestern State University - Jack Fisher Tennis Complex

Singles
Honoka Umeda (NSU) vs. Rio Maeda (USA) 3-6, 1-2 uf
Manal Ennaciri (USA) def. Athina Grigoriadou (NSU) 6-2, 6-4
Martina Acebedo Bonocore (NSU) vs. Cristina Tchanichev (USA) 7-5, 1-2 uf
Jana Rovira (USA) def. Lolita Hukasian (NSU) 6-2, 7-5
Sofi Garcia (NSU) vs. Jade Marie (USA) 6-3, 4-6, uf
Kena Elakili (USA) def. Lija Mumlek (NSU) 6-4, wr

Doubles
Manal Ennaciri/Kena Elakili (USA) def. Honoka Umeda/Lolita Hukasian (NSU) 6-1
Rio Maeda/Jana Rovira (USA) def. Martina Acebedo Bonocore/Athina Grigoriadou (NSU) 7-6
Sofi Garcia/Lija Mumlek (NSU) def. Ava Rath/Jade Marie (USA) 6-3

Order on finish: doubles (1, 3, 2), singles (6, 2, 4, uf, uf, uf)