PBC Announces Men's and Women's Tennis Preseason Accolades
DAHLONEGA – The Peach Belt Conference announced the men's and women's tennis Preseason Coaches Poll and Preseason All-Conference Teams Tuesday morning.
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) No. 6 UNG women's team was picked second out of the seven teams in the conference with 32 voting points and two first place votes.
The ITA No. 13 UNG men's team was picked to finish fourth with 12 points.
Last season, the Nighthawk women's team completed the best season in program history. UNG finished the year with a 25-2 record. The squad made historic marks with the longest win streak in program history (19 matches), the most wins in a season in program history (25), the first ever PBC Tournament Championship and the first ever appearance in the NCAA National Semifinals.
The Nighthawks earned the highest ranking in program history as well last year, ranked as the No. 3 team in the country at one point by the ITA.
UNG had three players record 20 or more wins in singles play in the dominant season. That feat had been accomplished just twice in the 19-year NCAA Division II era of program history prior to last season.
In doubles, three different pairings compiled 16 or more wins which included senior Valentina Ascarrunz and junior Carolina Reis who won 23 doubles matches, the most in a season in program history.
On the men's side, the Nighthawks went 14-8 and advanced to the NCAA Round of 16 for the second time in four years.
14 wins marked the fourth most in a season in UNG men's tennis history and the program's 10th season with double digit victories. With five more wins than the season prior, last year also marked the Nighthawks' third-best single season improvement in program history.
Senior Joaquin Benoit highlighted the year with a 16-2 singles record, marking the best single season winning percentage (.889) in program history.
On the Preseason All-Conference Team, two Nighthawks were selected on the women's side. Seniors Angelina Linnikova and Carolina Reis were named to the PBC Preseason All-Conference Team after tremendous years respectively for the pairing.
Linnikova collected a 22-4 singles record, accomplishing the most wins in a single season in program history. Her .846 winning percentage went down as the fourth best mark in school history as well. Linnikova was the #1 singles player for the Nighthawks all season and her tremendous play eventually earned her the title as the No. 5 ranked women's singles player in the country via the ITA. It was the highest singles ranking in program history.
Meanwhile, Reis joined with Ascarrunz to dominate doubles play all season long. 23 doubles wins was not only the most in a season in program history, but an 884 winning percentage was also the best in program history for a single season.
The 2025 season begins for both the UNG men's and women's tennis teams on Sunday, Feb. 2 at 10 a.m. in Harrogate, Tenn. in a road matchup against Lincoln Memorial. The Nighthawks' home opener takes place the following day on Feb. 3 at the UNG Tennis Complex at Yahoola Creek at 12:30 p.m. against Young Harris.
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