DAHLONEGA – No. 4 University of North Georgia (UNG) women's tennis senior Angelina Linnikova has been named as the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) 2025 Southeast Region Senior Player of the Year.

The senior from Irkutsk, Russia has put together one of the most impressive seasons in UNG history. 

The fall campaign started on a high note as Linnikova teamed up with fellow senior Carolina Reis in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Southeast Regional for a Runner-Up finish in women's doubles. The two would also go on to make an appearance in the national tournament at the ITA Cup. 

Individually, Linnikova made waves at the ITA Cup when she finished as the National Champion Runner-Up for women's singles. 

During the season, UNG's #1 singles player got off to a hot start and was named the PBC Player of the Week in three straight weeks. 

She then was named to the 2025 ITA Women's Indoor Team National Championship All-Tournament Team after the Nighthawks' appearance in the event in which she won two singles matches against ranked opponents. 

Linnikova remained unbeaten in singles into the thick of conference play in late March. She ended the regular season with four wins over ranked opponents in her last seven matches to help her maintain an unbeaten record this spring. 

Along the way Linnikova became just the second player in conference history and the first since 2008 to compile six separate PBC Player of the Week awards in a single season. 

Linnikova is currently ranked as the ITA women's singles No. 2 player in the country. Her perfect record of 23-0 in 2025 makes her the only undefeated player in the top 10 of the ITA rankings this spring. She has a staggering 61-6 record in singles play in three seasons with the Nighthawks. She is 44-4 in the last two seasons and 31-2 since April 2, 2024. 

Linnikova is also 10-0 against nationally ranked opponents in the spring. She has tallied wins over the No. 1, No. 2 (twice), No. 8, No. 16 (three times) and No. 25 women's singles players in the country.

She already holds the record for the most singles wins in a season with 23, breaking the previous mark of 22 victories which she tied in 2024. Her 61 career singles victories are also the most in a career in UNG women's tennis history. 

Linnikova is now the third Region Player of the Year in UNG women's tennis history and the first since Vaishali Jorge in 2022.

She will take the court again on Wednesday, May 21 when the Nighthawks face 13-seeded and No. 36 Queens (N.Y.) in the opening match of the 2025 NCAA Division II Women's Tennis Championship. The match takes place at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs, Fla.