The Ohio high school girls tennis regular season has concluded. That means it is time to determine the top Columbus-area player for the regular season by voting for your choice.
The nine candidates are below, in alphabetical order. After reading their bios, scroll down to the ballot and cast your vote.
Voting will conclude at noon Oct. 12. Please do not email your votes; they will not count.
Candidates were nominated by area coaches and The Dispatch sports staff. Postseason accomplishments are not included.
In addition, keep an eye out for the annual All-Metro teams for fall sports in November.
Addi Bennington, Worthington Kilbourne: A junior seeking her second consecutive Division I state berth, all 11 of Bennington’s wins came in straight sets,
and each featured at least one 6-0 set. Her only losses were to defending state singles champion Soleil Cordell of Olentangy Berlin (6-4, 6-4) and Dublin Coffman’s Emma Zerbi (1-6, 7-6, 1-0).
Soleil Cordell, Olentangy Berlin: The defending Division I state singles champion and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville commit went 17-0 during the regular season without dropping a set, and entering the postseason had won 44 consecutive matches dating to the 2024 state singles final. Ten of Cordell’s wins were 6-0, 6-0.
Nora Grennan, Watkins Memorial: After becoming the Warriors’ first state qualifier a season ago, Grennan went 18-1 this fall in singles and 23-1 overall, including two doubles tournaments wins with teammate Eva Barbour. Coach Shawn Walter called Grennan’s 6-2, 7-5 victory over New Albany’s Valentina Suslova her “best win” of the regular season.
Iva Karagirova, Columbus School for Girls: The Unicorns senior and No. 1 singles player went 10-1, earning the top seed in her team’s home sectional as she seeks a return to the Division II state tournament. Karagirova lost only three sets, two of them to Columbus Academy’s Ella Tsao and the other in a three-set win over Zerbi.
Maya Olmos, Westerville Central: The junior went 14-6 at No. 1 singles for the Warhawks, who won their first 13 matches on the way to a 15-3 season. All of Olmos’ wins were in straight sets.
Ella Reid, Olentangy Orange: The sophomore went 13-3, primarily playing third singles but also seeing time on the other singles courts as well as first doubles. Coach Emily Samples lauded Reid’s consistency, and only one of Reid’s regular-season wins went to three sets.
Sofia Rivera-Alvarez, Dublin Jerome: The freshman played first singles throughout the season for the Celtics, going 11-4. Her top wins included a three-set victory over Zerbi (7-6, 6-7, 6-1) and sweeps of Olmos (7-5, 6-0) and Big Walnut’s Lane Rothhaar (7-5, 6-2).
Alexa Roth, Upper Arlington: A three-time Division I state qualifier, the first two of those coming in doubles in 2023 and 2024, Roth went 9-0 in the regular season and dropped only one set, in a three-set victory over Centerville’s Mia Trubee. UA is 13-0 in dual matches this fall.
Ella Tsao, Columbus Academy: The junior went 8-1, including 7-1 at first singles with notable wins against Worthington Christian’s Elise Bourgeois, Karagirova, Watterson’s Chloe McClymont and New Albany’s Valentina Suslova. Tsao also won her only doubles match of the regular season.
High school sports reporter Dave Purpura can be reached at dpurpura@dispatch.com and at @dp_dispatch on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Vote for top central Ohio high school tennis player of regular season
