THIBODAUX, La.  – The Nicholls State University women's tennis team will play for the Southland Conference regular season title and the number one seed in the postseason tournament as the Colonels host Southeastern Louisiana on Sunday, April 19, at 2 p.m. at the Colonel Tennis Complex.
 
With the recent rainy weather sweeping through Louisiana, the match could be moved indoors to the Hilton Riverside in New Orleans. Please continue to check social media on Facebook and Twitter for updates.
 
With just one conference loss this season, the Colonels (17-4, 9-1 SLC) would clinch at least a share of Southland regular season title with a win over the Lady Lions (11-8, 3-7 SLC). A victory would also guarantee the Colonels the top overall seed in next weekend's Southland Conference Tournament hosted by Lamar in Beaumont, Texas.
 
Stephen F. Austin also enters the final day with one conference loss, and Northwestern State is still in contention with two losses. Both teams, which lost to Nicholls last weekend at home, will also finish their seasons Sunday. A win by the Colonels would eliminate the defending champion Lady Demons, while a loss by SFA would give Nicholls the outright title. If Nicholls and SFA win their remaining matches, the teams would share the regular season title, but the Colonels would be the top seed via the head-to-head tiebreaker. If Nicholls loses and SFA wins, the Ladyjacks would claim the title. A three-way tie would come into play if Nicholls and SFA both lose, while NSU wins its final matches.
 
Although the Colonels had been playing some of their best tennis as of late, the team faced a daunting road trip last weekend in taking on the Southland's top two teams. However, Nicholls made a huge statement on Friday by shutting out defending champ Northwestern State, 4-0. The squad then turned around to hand SFA its first conference loss of the season, edging the Ladyjacks 4-3.
 
Looking to capture the program's first title since 1995, the Colonels have a .750 winning percentage in both singles and doubles in conference play. Stephanie Barnett and Isla Brock head the singles lineup as each post a 10-0 mark. Barnett plays at the No. 1 position and is 16-3 on the season, while Brock has played primarily at No. 6 with a 14-1 overall record. Marie Aubert has an 8-2 record in the Southland and Klara Skopac and Milou Pietersz each have five wins.
 
In doubles, Barnett and Skopac have paired up at No. 1 for a 6-2 record in conference, while Brock and Kateryna Nakonechna have the same record at No. 3. At the No. 2 spot, Aubert and Pietersz have five wins versus two losses.

Although the Lady Lions have struggled overall, they are led by one of the best players in the league. Renee Villarreal heads into the match with a 17-1 record at No. 1 singles and is also perfect in conference play at 10-0. Villarreal and Barnett squared off last season, with Villarreal coming out on top with a 6-2, 6-3 victory.

The Southland Conference Tournament begins Friday, April 24. For the complete tournament page, please click here. 
 
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