Carmel is back on top of IHSAA girls tennis.
Coach Kiersten Carlson’s Greyhounds rolled to a 4-1 win over Evansville Memorial at the Wynne Tennis Center at North Central High School on Saturday, giving third-ranked Carmel the 14th state title in program history – by far the most of any team in the state. However, it’s the first since 2023, a figurative “drought” as far as the Carmel program is concerned.
After the Greyhounds (18-2) were presented with the team trophy, the IHSAA gave small bottles of chocolate milk to the athletes for their celebration – as it does at all state finals.
Sophomore third singles Annie Mann gave Carmel its decisive third point with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Ella Hurt. Although she was overjoyed at that turn of events, she couldn’t bring herself to partake in the team celebration – which was sponsored by the IHSAA’s corporate partner, the America Dairy Association.
“Yeah, um, no … that’s not my thing,” Mann said, smiling. “I didn’t want that.”
The rest of the proceedings, however, more than met her approval.
“I’m so happy for our seniors and that we could win this for them.” Mann said. “I saw (two singles) Alex (Alexia Widjaja) had won and I didn’t want to keep this going.”
The return to the top also proved special for head coach Kiersten Carlson, a 2015 Carmel grad. The first-year mentor won three state titles as a player for Carmel, then played in college, where she soured on the sport.
Eventually, however, she returned as a coach and became the sixth Carmel mentor to guide the team to a state title.
“Winning as a player and a coach are both amazing,” Carlson said. “As a coach, it’s completely different. To see the players win after putting in the work all year is extremely rewarding.
“For me,” she continued, “it’s a massive full-circle moment. To go from completely hating something and wanting nothing to do with it to now feeling so much joy and purpose is just great.”
Carmel’s first point came from two doubles Brylie Price and Shravya Pillutia, who cruised to a 6-4, 6-0 win over Charlotte Hungate and Eleni Scordalakes. Price and Pillutia finish the season 18-0.
Alexia Widjaja came off next, just before Mann, with a 6-4, 6-4 triumph over Emery Folz. Widjaja finished the match with a perfect drop-shot at the net.
Moments later, Mann’s clincher came after Hurt sent a two-hand backhand shot into the net on match point.
Memorial (22-2) got its only point from one singles Emma Digler, who beat Olivia Widjaja, 7-6 (3), 6-3.
The final match to finish came at one doubles, where Carmel’s Gabby Hall and Maddie Littell needed three sets to take down Olivia Smith and Grace Dilger, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1. Hall and Littell remained unbeaten (23-0) on the season in the flight (23-0) and will be the top seed in the individual state finals this weekend at Park Tudor.
“We knew Memorial would be tough at one singles and one doubles,” Carlson said.
Memorial came in losing only to Kentucky-power Sacred Heart of Louisville, 3-2, in April.
“We played a close match with Sacred Heart and we felt if we could do that, we could play with anyone in Indiana,” Memorial coach Jacob VanBibber said. “I thought all our girls played well, just Carmel played a little bit better.”
Memorial, which has won six state titles in program history, will lose only one senior (Olivia Smith) from its line-up.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Carmel girls’ tennis back on top with state title, defeating Evansville Memorial
