SALISBURY, N.C – The No. 16 University of North Georgia (UNG) women's tennis team saw its 2025-26 season come to a close in the second round of the NCAA Southeast Regional Tournament after a 4-2 loss to No. 6 Catawba on Saturday afternoon.
The Nighthawks (18-8, 5-2 PBC) were forced to battle from behind early after Catawba took the doubles point to open up the match. Emily Bush and Linn Goerdes fell in a 6-3 decision at No. 2, while Victoria Niox-Chateau and Sofia Giraldo dropped their matchup 6-1 to give Catawba the advantage heading into singles play.
North Georgia rallied against the top-seeded Indians for a pair of big singles wins, but Catawba picked up the three victories it needed to advance past the Nighthawks.
At No. 1 Anastasiia Opolska put a point on the board for her squad with a 6-0, 7-5 win over Sofia Antoloni.
Over at No. 5, Bush battled out a 6-2, 6-4 straight set victory to keep some momentum on North Georgia's side.
The Nighthawks fought until the very end but came up just short on the remaining courts to Catawba. At No. 3, Giraldo fell behind in a 6-1, 6-1 decision, and Louise Rey saw her defeat 6-0, 6-3 at No. 6.
At No. 4, Goerdes was locked in on a tightly contested duel with her opponent Lili Drukerova. After splitting the first two sets, the match came down to a tiebreaker in which Goerdes put up a strong showing but was ultimately bested 6-4.
The Nighthawks wrap up a great season after another trip to the NCAA Tournament and a perfect 7-0 record at home. This team can build upon this year and look forward to the bright future that is in store for this North Georgia women's tennis program.
