Women's Tennis | 6/19/2015 4:13:00 PM

INDIANAPOLIS – NCAA member colleges and universities have nominated 480 female student-athletes – the most ever in the history of the program – for the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year award, including Barry's Linda Fritschken of the women's tennis team.

For Fritschken, it continues a storybook year. She and partner Emma Onila won the ITA South Region, Division II National and ITA Super Bowl doubles titles for the second straight year. Fritschken was named the Elite 89 winner at the women's tennis nationals and claimed the Sunshine State Conference's Dr. M. Eileen McDonough Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. She was named the ITA South Region Senior Player of the Year.

She closed out her Barry career as the top doubles player in program history with 96 wins and a 90.6 winning percentage in dual matches. She is tied for fourth in singles win (69) and in singles win percentage (.908). She was selected a two time ITA All-American in both singles (2012, 2014) and doubles play (2014, 2015).

Now in its 25th year, the Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service and leadership.

Of the nominees, 207 competed in Division I, 93 competed in Division II and 180 competed in Division III athletics.

The NCAA encourages member schools to honor its top graduating female student-athletes each year by submitting their names for consideration for the Woman of the Year award.

Then, conferences assess each nominee's eligibility and select up to two conference nominees. The conference winners will be announced on June 19.

All conference nominees are forwarded to the Woman of the Year selection committee, which chooses the top 30 honorees – 10 from each division.

From the top 30, the selection committee determines the top three nominees from each division and announces the top nine finalists in September. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics then chooses from among those nine to determine the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year.

The 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced, and the Top 30 honorees celebrated, at the annual award ceremony Oct. 18 in Indianapolis.