NATCHITOCHES – A sweltering Jack Fisher Tennis Complex was just one challenge laid in front of the Northwestern State tennis team in Saturday's final day of the Lady Demon Invitational.
 
No matter, the host team handled nearly every obstacle in its way, especially in singles competition.
 
Graduate student Zoi Spyrou and freshmen Nico Tagami and Zala Vnuk all completed perfect runs through their draws with each having to battle deep into their lone singles matches of the day.
 
"The girls handled adversity and frustration and all the emotions that are involved in a match in a very highly effective manner," fourth-year head coach Marcos Morelli said.
 
Despite taking down Tyler Junior College's Katina Estefania Zepeda Barrios in straight sets, Spyrou had to earn it.
 
After grabbing a 6-4 first-set victory, Spyrou found herself trailing midway through the second set before winning the final three games to seal the White Draw championship and avoid a super tiebreaker.
 
"She came into the match not feeling great," Morelli said. "As the match went on, the situation was getting tougher, but she was super tough. She pushed through, and I'm proud of her."
 
Tagami and Vnuk each had to battle through their matches in the Orange Draw.
 
The freshmen each won two singles matches during Friday's first day, which would have set up an all-Northwestern final. Instead, they faced new opponents from the draw.
 
Tagami trailed in both sets against Sam Houston's Viktorie Zidelova before finding her finishing form.
 
In the first set, Tagami rallied to force a tiebreaker where she left little to chance, scoring the first six points of a 7-1 win.
 
In the second set, Tagami matched Spyrou's late-set rally to polish off a 7-6 (1), 7-5 victory and cap a tournament in which she did not drop a set in singles play.
 
Vnuk took a longer route to complete her perfect run as Sam Houston's Maria Gajete recovered from a first-set loss to build a 5-2 lead in the second set.
 
Vnuk cut the margin to 5-4 before Gajete closed the set.
 
Gajete scored the first two points of the tiebreaker before Vnuk put together a 6-1 run to take control of the decisive rally.
 
The performances by Northwestern's freshmen came after they were unable to secure a victory in either of their doubles matches, falling 7-6 (8-6) in a super tiebreaker in the White Draw semifinals.
 
The pair then dropped a 6-4 decision to the pairing of Sam Houston's Emma Nordin and Stephen F. Austin's Abbey Nikolic.
 
The youngsters showed plenty of conviction to rebound and help the Lady Demons post a 4-0 mark in singles matches Saturday.
 
"Both freshmen showed a lot of toughness," Morellis aid. "They're very highly coachable, and I think what is most important is they enjoy it. They really enjoyed it."
 
Martina Acebedo Bonocore set Northwestern's perfect singles day in motion, cruising past Stephen F. Austin's Avery Kinsey, 6-1, 6-0 to clinch the Yellow Draw's consolation championship.
 
Northwestern's Purple Draw doubles team of Acebedo Bonocore and Athina Grigoriadou rolled into the bracket finals with a 6-1 win against Sam Houston's Zidelova and Sara Khamitova before dropping a 7-6 (7-2) decision to Lamar's Jervosima Mitic and Anaya Gudovskaya in the finals.
 
"We still need to work on a lot, but I think we're in a good position, being this early in the fall," Morelli said.