Non-conference matches do not mean they are unimportant, junior Sandra Sasidharan said.

The Panthers’ women’s squad (6-6, 1-2 Ohio Valley Conference) will head into their non-conference match against St. Louis University today after losing two important conference matches last week 4-3.

Head coach John Blackburn said a non-conference match held in between the conference matches is just a chance to get in some playing time.

“It doesn’t matter how it falls — conference or not,” Blackburn said. “Having matches during the week helps us stay in a rhythm and prepare for the weekend.”

Blackburn said that if they go seven days without a competing it could negatively affect play during the match.

“Practices are great,” Blackburn said. “But matches are even more beneficial in giving you the competition you need to stay prepared.”

Sasidharan said because it is non-conference doesn’t mean they aren’t going to try as hard as they would if it was conference.

“Conference or not, SLU is a great team and playing them will make us stronger,” Sasidharan said.

Sasidharan also said playing non-conference matches gives them variety and helps the Panthers learn to adapt to different teams.

Freshman Hayley Homburg likes the differences that a non-conference match brings.

“You get to face girls from different conferences that play tougher teams and it just makes you tougher in the end by playing them,” Homburg said.

Blackburn said SLU beat them 7-0 last year, but he thinks the Panthers are stronger and will have a better showing today.

Sasidharan said if they play with the toughness they had against Samford then they will have a good chance to win.

The match will be the halfway point of the Billikens 11-match stretch on the road.

SLU (6-10) has lost three of its last five away matches but are coming off a convincing 9-0 win against Embry-Riddle.

The Billikens are 2-6 on the road.

Where there are ways to compare conference matches to non-conference matches, senior Madina Mambetova said there is no comparison between home and away matches.

“Home matches are so much more exciting and fun,” Mambetova said. “There is this awesome feeling of energy that everyone gets when we are on our own courts.”

Mambetova said when they have played SLU in the past it was always away, but she is looking forward to going up against them with the home court advantage.