ROME, Ga. – The University of North Georgia (UNG) tennis program had a number of players represent the Nighthawks proudly at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Cup this weekend in Rome, Ga. at the Berry Tennis Center. 

Senior Angelina Linnikova was the most impressive competitor in the ITA's signature national competition. Linnikova, who made it to the quarterfinals of the ITA Cup in 2023, finished as the 2024 National Runner-Up in women's singles on Sunday morning. 

Linnikova's run to the finals started on Thursday with a 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 win over Concordia University Irvine's Sophie Rachor. Last season, Rachor finished the year as ITA's No. 8 ranked women's singles player in the country.

Linnikova moved on to defeat Midwestern State's Sofia Giraldo in convincing fashion 6-4, 6-2 on Friday. 

In the semifinals, Linnikova took on a familiar opponent in Columbus State's Nikoline Gullacksen. Two years ago, Linnikova and Gullacksen faced each other twice. Gullacksen won the first contest while the second contest went unfinished before the Cougars clinched the match, ending UNG's season in the NCAA Tournament. Gullacksen was also crowned the ITA Southeast Regional Champion for women's singles just last week.

On Saturday, Linnikova got revenge. With a dominant 6-4, 6-4 win, Linnikova secured her spot in the finals. Gullacksen ended the season as the No. 36 ranked singles player nationally last year.

In the finals, Linnikova would match up with Ashleigh Simes from Lee University. Simes would outlast Linnikova in a 6-2, 6-1 victory. 

Of the four women's singles competitors to advance to the semifinals, only Linnikova and Gullacksen also competed in the doubles portion of the competition. With Linnikova's run to the finals in singles coupled with doubles play with junior teammate Carolina Reis, Linnikova competed in six separate matches over the course of four days in Rome, Ga.

When the ITA releases its team and individual rankings ahead of the spring portion of the tennis season, Linnikova will likely be ranked as the No. 2 women's tennis singles player in the country.

Linnikova and Reis paired up for two doubles matches after subbing in as alternates on Friday. After losing their first match, the new duo beat Axelle Jacquemin and Andrea De Bernardo from Lubbock Christian 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 on Saturday. The win occurred roughly just 14 hours before Linnikova was slated to compete in the singles championship on Sunday. 

UNG also had a competitor on the men's side with junior transfer Pedro Liborio competing in the men's singles draw. Liborio earned an automatic qualification into this year's national tournament after winning the ITA Southeast Regional Championship last week. 

Liborio lost his opening match 6-7 (3-7), 4-6 to Washburn's Tim Hammes who finished last year ranked No. 8 nationally in men's singles. Liborio faced another tough competitor in his next matchup in Wayne State's Cedric Drenth who was ranked No. 15 in the nation last year. Drenth defeated Liborio 6-4, 6-4 on Friday. In his third and final match of the competition, Liborio took down Midwestern State's Bruno Sanchez 6-1, 7-6 (7-2). 

Liborio had already made history for UNG as the first ITA Regional Champion in men's tennis history. Linnikova added to the record books this weekend as the first men's or women's player in program history to advance to the finals in the ITA Cup. 

With the ITA competitions complete, both men's and women's tennis teams will now turn their attention to the remainder of the fall schedule which includes the Young Harris Hidden Dual on Oct. 18 and 19 and the Nighthawk's very own UNG Tennis Fall Invitational which takes place the UNG Tennis Complex at Yahoola Creek on Friday, Oct. 25 and Saturday, Oct. 26.