Players to watch, storylines for Cincinnati high school girls tennis in 2023
The Ohio high school girls tennis season begins the week of Aug. 10. The Cincinnati area never has a shortage of successful and talented players, so here is a look at some of the top returning players and storylines to watch this season.
Mason looks to reload and go after 9th consecutive GMC crown
The perennially powerful Mason Comets had another banner year in 2022, winning their second Division I state championship. Shyla Aggarwal graduated with her second-straight DI singles championship.
The Comets must also replace state singles qualifier Nishi Gandra, as well as three of their top four doubles players.
Reloading has never been a problem for the Comets, who are looking for their ninth consecutive Greater Miami Conference championship. Mason has lost six regular-season matches during their eight-year streak, and have not lost a match since 2020. Third singles player Prastyusha Chaudhuri and senior doubles player Swaathi Reddy lead the returning players.
Perennial runner-up Sycamore, who won the GMC title in 2014, returns sophomore Lisa Kai, who was 22-3 in singles last year, playing third singles, plus doubles players Ria Parikh and Allison Sayles. Parikh was 17-4 overall last season.
CHCA is serving for state titles in 2023
Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy returns two Division II state runner-ups. Sophia Thompson, a sophomore, was singles runner-up after winning the district championship.
Sophomore Addison Cassidy was half of a doubles team that was state runner-up after finishing second in the regional. She played singles during the season. CHCA, who won the Miami Valley Conference and was 16-1 overall, also returns junior all-league doubles player Mika Morris.
Indian Hill ready for more wins after big 2022 season
Indian Hill returns its top four players, who all played in the Division II state tournament after leading the Braves to the Cincinnati Hills League championship.
Junior Caroline Brown and senior Brooke Arington qualified for state in singles. Sisters Lexi and Cassie Larsen, who are also lacrosse stars, qualified for state in doubles after playing mostly singles during the regular season. All four of them hope to use that experience to advance further in the postseason this fall.
Southern Buckeye players rack up the wins
The Southern Buckeye Athletic & Academic Conference, which is mostly schools from Clermont County, didn’t advance past the blueblood programs in the postseason. But several of their teams and players had outstanding 2022 seasons and are coming back for more.
Clinton-Massie was 18-2 overall and an undefeated 10-0 to win the American Division. The Falcons return all of their top players, including junior Addison Swope, who was first-team all-league in singles. Junior Maria Jones was 12-3 in singles and junior Lilly Logsdon 12-5.
Mikayla Wonderly and Brylie Green were 16-1 in doubles, and Noel Gassay was 16-2 in doubles, including 9-1 with Elle Dunham.
Georgetown won the National Division at 10-0 and was 13-3 overall. The team returns its top four doubles players from last year. Bethel-Tate returns juniors Dylan Crabtree and Emma Wetzel, who were 13-4 at first doubles, plus Addison O'Conner and Lilly Holland, who were 11-3.
St. Ursula makes its mark in GGCL
St. Ursula returns several top players from its champion team of the Girls Greater Catholic League. Elle Scheurmann, Maria Poon and Emily Jennewein all return in singles. Scheurmann was 14-2 in singles. Poon was 12-0 and Jennewein 12-2 before they teamed up to play doubles in the postseason, where they reached the DI state quarterfinals.
Turpin looks to keep control of ECC
The Turpin Spartans won the Eastern Cincinnati Conference last year at 9-0 and 16-4 overall, the fourth straight title for the Spartans. They return senior Sarah Clark, the ECC singles champion and player of the year, plus league doubles champions Ellen Benintendi and Morgan Kaas, both seniors. Senior Brooke Malone also returns in singles.
The ECC has several returning individuals who had strong 2022 campaigns, including Milford senior Jasmin Mu, Lebanon’s Edin Chin, and Walnut Hills teammates Irisa Poompanit and Angela Britton.
Players to watch
Brooke Arington, Indian Hill
The senior helped the Braves to the Cincinnati Hills League championship. She was first-team All-CHL and finished second in the district tournament, advancing her to the Division II state tournament where she lost in the first round.
Ellen Benintendi and Morgan Kaas, Turpin
The seniors were key parts of the Eastern Cincinnati Conference champion Spartans. They were 11-2 together in doubles during the regular season and won the league doubles championship. They also played some singles during the season.
Caroline Boyle, Badin
The junior was 19-0 singles for the Rams, leading them to the Greater Catholic League-Coed championship. She finished third in the district tournament and advanced to the Division II state quarterfinals.
Caroline Brown, Indian Hill
The junior was Cincinnati Hills League player of the year after leading the Braves to the league championship. She was 10-3 during dual matches and qualified for the Division II state tournament, where she lost in the first round.
Addison Cassidy, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy
The sophomore led the Eagles to the Miami Valley Conference and a 16-1 overall record, playing singles during the season and earning first-team all-MVC honors. With 2023 graduate Ananya Annapantula, she finished second in the Division II district tournament and finished as state runner-up.
Prastyusha Chaudhuri, Mason
The sophomore is the top returning player for the Comets. She was first-team all-league in the Greater Miami Conference, helping them take the league championship by winning the GMC tournament in third singles.
Sarah Clark, Turpin
The senior led the Spartans to the Eastern Cincinnati Conference championship as the team went 9-0 in the ECC and 15-4 overall. She was the player of the year in the ECC and finished third in the district before advancing to the Division I state singles quarterfinals. She was 12-2 in dual matches, 5-0 in league play.
Lucy Glassmeyer and Ella Malafa, Mariemont
After a successful season as Mariemont’s top two singles players, they teamed up in doubles for the postseason and won a Division II sectional title. Glassmeyer is a junior and Malafa is a senior.
Maria Poon and Emily Jennewein, St. Ursula
Poon, a junior, and Jennewein, a senior, led the Bulldogs to the Girls Greater Catholic League championship last season. They dominated in singles last year, going a combined 24-2 in dual matches. They then paired up to play doubles in the postseason, finished second in the district tournament and advanced to the Division I state quarterfinals.
Lisa Kai, Sycamore
The sophomore was 22-3 in singles last season and is one of the top returning players for the Aviators. She finished second in the GMC tournament in third singles.
Lexi and Cassie Larsen, Indian Hill
The sisters played singles during the season for the Cincinnati Hills League champions, then paired up in doubles for the postseason and advanced to the first round of the Division II state tournament. Lexi is a senior and Cassie a junior.
Morgan Lint, Oak Hills
The senior finished second in the Greater Miami Conference at first singles to eventual state champion Shyla Aggerwal of Mason. She finished fourth in the district and advanced to the round of the 16 in the state tournament. She led the Scots to third place in the GMC.
Mika Morris, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy
The senior led the Eagles to the Miami Valley Conference championship and a 16-1 overall record. With 2023 graduate Payton Puryear, she finished third in the Division II district tournament and advanced to the Division II state quarterfinals.
Ria Parikh, Sycamore
The senior had an outstanding season in doubles for the GMC runner-up Aviators and is one of the top returning players for Sycamore as it looks to unseat Mason as league champions.
Irisa Poompanit, Walnut Hills
The sophomore was second-team all-league in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference last season. She played first and second singles during the season, going 8-0 in dual matches, then competed in doubles in the postseason. With 2023 graduate Angela Britton, she finished fourth in the district and advanced to the first round of the Division I state tournament.
Elle Scheurmann, St. Ursula
The senior was 14-2 in singles last season, including 7-1 in first singles, helping the Bulldogs win the Girls Greater Catholic League championship.
Sophia Thompson, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy
The sophomore was Division II district champion and state runner-up. She led the Eagles to the Miami Valley Conference championship and a 16-1 overall record.
Best of the rest
Neha Arcot, Ursuline; Ashley Bauer, Mariemont; Tyler Berry, St. Ursula; Lucy Bowling, Ross; Edin Chin, Lebanon; Dylan Crabtree, Bethel-Tate; Emmy Demmel, Badin; Annebelle Dugle, McNicholas; Leanna Gandy, Edgewood; Eva Hall, Ross; Sophia Pastura, Seton; Abigail Price, Lakota East; Swaathi Reddy, Mason; Bella Roeder, Seton; Grayson Rohmiller, St. Ursula; Allison Sayles, Sycamore; Addison Swope, Clinton-Massie; Ella Vatter, Seton; Emma Wetzel, Bethel-Tate.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 2023 Cincinnati high school girls tennis players to watch, storylines
