CEDARVILLE, Ohio - Diana Ivanikhina has thrived as a member of the Cedarville University women's tennis team since her freshman year.
The junior biblical studies major is especially impressive noting the fact that she learned how to play the sport not from a coach or as a member of her high school team, like many of her teammates, but from YouTube.
"I learned a lot from watching [YouTube] videos and watching very good international players who came to my country to compete," Diana said.
In her home country of Tajikistan, there were not many opportunities for her to compete at a high level in the sport of tennis. But, the Lord was faithful in bringing Ivanikhina to Cedarville.
"My journey to Cedarville is just a huge miracle from the Lord in my life," Diana stated. "There was no way for it to happen without God's hand in every single step of the way. God sent so many people into my life to help me through them, but it was clearly His hand in everything that happened."
In her freshman year at Bowling Green State University, she played only a handful of times, but began to make a real impact starting in her sophomore year at Cedarville.
On the way to being named to the All-G-MAC Second Team, she led her team in singles victories with a 15-8 record. So far this season, she has gone 9-2 in singles play.
Assistant Coach Kady Monson has been impressed by her growth and development into a standout player.
"Diana is an incredibly talented player with great potential," Monson said. "It's been exciting to watch her develop and adjust her game to become more difficult to beat, especially when facing tough opponents.
"Diana's contributions have certainly elevated the Cedarville University women's tennis team, and other coaches have recognized that our No. 1 spot is now more competitive than in previous years."
While Ivanikhina has enjoyed being a member of the tennis team, her greatest joy at Cedarville is the ability to learn more about God and worship with her classmates daily in chapel.
"It is so incredibly wonderful how I can go every morning and worship the Lord with five thousand people," Diana said. "Also, being a Bible major is the best and my professors are the best people ever. I'm so blessed to be able to learn so many things about my Lord and Savior here at Cedarville."
"I'm so blessed to be able to learn so many things about my Lord and Savior here at Cedarville." - Diana Ivanikhina
It was not always a smooth transition, however, as Ivanikhina initially struggled with the language barrier in her first few months in the United States.
"I did not know English very well when I came to the US, so it was very hard to communicate with people, and studying in English was so difficult and tiring," Diana explained. "I had to translate so many things into my language to be able to understand what I am studying. So that was a big challenge for me, but the Lord was so good to me and He helped me to improve my English in a short amount of time."
Ivanikhina shared how her faith has influenced how she approaches being an athlete.
"You spend so much time together competing and glorifying the Lord through [doing a] sport," Diana said. "So it taught me how to be very respectful and love my teammates well, as well as treat my opponents well and show them the light of Christ on the tennis court."
Monson also shared how she has seen Ivanikhina's growth off the court as well.
"Off the court, Diana is passionate about sharing her faith in Christ," Monson said. "She actively seeks opportunities to connect with others, asking questions about them, sharing where she attends school, and discussing what she believes. She's not shy about offering to pray for others, making connections wherever she goes. Her motivation is rooted in sharing the hope she has in Christ."
Personally, Ivanikhina has learned a few lessons as well.
"As a person, It also taught me how to be disciplined and diligent in everything I do," Diana remarked. "It taught me how to be patient with myself and have patience with others when things don't go the way I want them to go."
Monson is continually encouraged by who Ivanikhina has become not just on the court but off of it as well.
"She has learned to ask questions, seek help when needed, and most importantly, rely fully on God. Her faith continues to grow, and she firmly believes that nothing is impossible with God. Her journey at Cedarville is a testament to God's miraculous work in her life."
# # # # #