NATCHITOCHES — The Northwestern State tennis team dropped a 4–0 decision to Tarleton State on Sunday morning at the Jack Fisher Tennis Complex, as the Texans capitalized on key moments in doubles and secured the necessary singles points to clinch the match.

Tarleton (6–3) seized early momentum in doubles play over the Lady Demons (4–4).

Aya Ishii and Emma Persson defeated Honoka Umeda and Sofi Garcia 6–4 at the No. 1 position, while Duru Kuscu and Maria Castano earned a 6–2 victory over Lolita Hukasian and Athina Grigoriadou at No. 2 to secure the doubles point.

The No. 3 match, featuring Martina Acebedo Bonocore and Lija Mumlek, was left unfinished at 5–6.

Head coach Marcos Morelli said the team entered the match with a clear mindset.

"We came into the match with the goal of being brave and confident," Morelli said. "I saw positive things in both doubles and singles."

In singles, Tarleton State extended its advantage.

Grigoriadou's forfeit at the No. 6 position gave the Texans their second point of the day.

Adeliya Mukhutdinova added another after leading Lija Mumlek 6–2, 1–0, before the match was stopped, and Duru Kuscu clinched the contest with a 6–1, 6–0, win over Hukasian at No. 4.

Several courts remained competitive before being halted once the team result was decided.

At No. 1, Umeda was locked in a tight opening set against Castano, falling 6–4 before play was suspended.

Acebedo Bonocore trailed Aya Ishii 6–2, 1–2 at No. 2 when her match went unfinished, and Sofi Garcia had taken the first set 6–4 against Emma Persson at No. 3 before that contest was called.

Despite the result, Morelli emphasized the value of the challenging weekend as conference play approaches.

"We learn more from losses than from wins," Morelli said. "We're taking a lot from these two matches, and we're also taking positive things as well. The girls know it. They're very receptive, and I trust we're going to be ready for conference next week."

Doubles play, a consistent point of emphasis for Northwestern State this season, showed improvement against tough competition.

"The good thing about this weekend is we knew both teams were going to have a good process," Morelli said. "I felt we did our part in doubles. It didn't go our way at times, but they earned it. They played a little better than us, and that's something we can adjust."

The loss marks the second straight for the Lady Demons at home, but the experience against strong nonconference opponents could prove valuable as Southland Conference play begins this week.

NSU begins SLC play this weekend as the Lady Demons travel to Edinburg, Texas, to take on UTRGV on Saturday. Doubles set to start at 1 p.m.

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

Singles
Honoka Umeda (NSU) vs. Maria Castano (TSU) 4-6, uf
Martina Acebedo Bonocore (NSU) vs. Aya Ishii (TSU) 2-6, 1-2 uf
Sofi Garcia (NSU) vs. Emma Persson (TSU) 6-4, uf
Duru Kuscu (TSU) def. Lolita Hukasian (NSU) 1-6, 0-6
Adeliya Mukhutdinova (TSU) def. Lija Mumlek (NSU) 6-2, 1-0, wf
Dariia Medviedieva (TSU) wf

Doubles
Aya Ishii/Emma Persson (TSU) def. Honoka Umeda/Sofi Garcia (NSU) 4-6
Duru Kuscu/Maria Castano (TSU) def. Lolita Hukasian/Athina Grigoriadou (NSU) 2-6
Martina Acebedo Bonocore/Lija Mumlek (NSU) vs. Adeliya Mukhutdinova/Clara Sobius (TSU) 5-6, uf

Order on finish: doubles (2, 1, uf) singles (6, 5, 4, uf, uf, uf)