INDIANAPOLIS - Adding to a season that already includes an ITA Indoor National Championship and the program's first No. 1 ranking, the UIndy women's team continued to add rack up accolades Thursday by sweeping of the GLVC's major individual awards. Junior Nikol Alekseeva was voted the league's Player of the Year, while rookie Sofia Sharonova was dubbed the GLVC's top freshman.

This marks the sixth time in program history that a Hound has garnered the GLVC Player of the Year award. Alekseeva went undefeated through the regular season in singles, only drop just one set in 12 matches. That record puts her among the best of the best, as she attained the No. 1 ranking in all of Division II women's tennis, not only for singles but for doubles as well alongside her partner Anna Novikova.

This is not the first All-GLVC award for the junior out of Moscow, Russia, as she is a multiple time Academic All-GLVC award winning and a winner of the 2019 Freshman of the Year award. She also secured two GLVC Player of the Week awards this season. 

Sharonova  – a sophomore academically but freshman athletically – found her stride this season with the Hounds, helping them to repeat in the GLVC Freshman of the Year category. Sharonova helped uplift the Hounds to the No. 1 ranking in the country with her 11-2 record on the season in singles. Alongside Maria Solnyshkina, she amassed a 12-1 recordi n the No. 3 doubles slot. Her winning this awards marks the sixth time in program history a Hound has won the honor, with current teammates Alekseeva and Alina Kislitskaya winning in prior years as well as Hanna Volikova (2016), Pamela Rodriguez (1996), Janik Belisle (1997), and Gayle Jones (2000). 

Alongside Alekseeva's unanimous voting as All-GLVC, Novikova earned all-confernece inclusion as she hit No. 8 in DII the singles ranking, going undefeated at 12-0. Kislitskaya and Kristina Lagoda joined as well after both tallied impressive singles records. Lagoda would also be nominated for the 2021 GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award.

The No. 1 team in the nation is put up the test tomorrow as they enter the GLVC Tournament, situated as the No. 1 seed. They face off with the Quincy Hawks in the first round as 10 a.m. ET in Romeoville, Ill. 


GLVC PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Nikol Alekseeva, Jr., UIndy
GLVC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Sofia Sharonova, UIndy
GLVC COACH OF THE YEAR: Winner of Tournament

2021 ALL-GLVC POSTSEASON AWARDS
Alma Abazi, So., DU
Nastasia Jedrychowski, Jr., DU
Viktoriya Zheleva, Sr., DU
Carolina Quevedo, Gr., UIS
Franca Bucco, Fr., UIS
Neha Mokhasi, Jr., UIS
Nikol Alekseeva, Jr., UIndy *
Anna Novikova, Jr., UIndy
Alina Kislitskaya, Sr., UIndy
Kristina Lagoda, Sr., UIndy
Jovava Vujanic, So., LEWIS
Marina Prediger, Gr., UMSL
Sam Czarnecki, Sr., RU
Diana Cabrera, Jr., SBU
Dona Abobahaga, Gr., SBU
Constanca Crespo, Sr., SBU

GLVC JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP NOMINEES
Alma Abazi, DU
Sina Skjelstad, UIS
Kristina Lagoda, UIndy
Casey Smith, LEWIS
Paula Sostres, LWU
Emily Orlove, MU
Anurag Reddy, MCK
Anna Domingo, UMSL
Laila Leist-Alston, QU
Paula Romero, RU
Rachel McCorkle, USI
David Szeri, SBU
Alex Rogers, TSU
Kelly Parrish, WJC

GLVC JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM AWARD
Southern Indiana

^{* unanimous selection}