Cuthbertson’s Govind finishes state runner-up in 7A singles, leads UCPS in tennis state tournament
Cuthbertson’s Ayana Govind finished as the 7A singles state runner-up at the 2026 N.C. High School Athletic Association individual girls tennis state championships, leading the way for Union County Public Schools at the event.
Govind advanced to Saturday’s state championship match after winning her first two matches without dropping a game.
The Cuthbertson standout opened the tournament with a 6-0, 6-0 quarterfinal victory over New Bern’s Moyet LaVigne before defeating Chapel Hill’s Erica Cui by the same score in the semifinals.
In the championship match, Govind faced Ballantyne Ridge’s Juliana Castellanos Trujillo, who earned a 6-0, 6-1 victory to capture the 7A singles state title.
Govind’s runner-up finish was the top result among UCPS athletes at the individual state championships.
Weddington doubles team reaches 7A semifinal
Weddington’s Evie Kayes and Marianna Cuebas also made a deep run at the state championships, advancing to the 7A doubles semifinals.
The Warriors’ duo opened the tournament with a 6-4, 6-0 quarterfinal victory over New Hanover’s Elayna Fortun and Lila Brown.
Kayes and Cuebas then faced Cardinal Gibbons’ Kylie Ryan and Nicole Ryan in the semifinals, falling 6-3, 6-0.
The Cardinal Gibbons duo went on to finish as state runners-up after losing to teammates Isabelle Lu and Coco Rahm in the championship match.
Central Academy’s Vasikarla advances to 4A semifinals
Central Academy’s Kreeshma Vasikarla represented Union County Public Schools in the 4A singles tournament, advancing to the semifinals.
Vasikrla opened the tournament with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Carrboro’s Eva Noar in the quarterfinals.
She then faced Brevard’s Sophie Owen in the semifinal round, where Owen earned a 6-1, 6-1 victory to advance to the championship match.
Vasikarla’s performance placed her among the final four singles competitors in the 4A classification.
Marvin Ridge represented in 7A doubles
Marvin Ridge’s Eleri Pratiknjo and Riona Ray also qualified for the 7A doubles state championship.
The Mavericks’ duo faced New Hanover’s Elizabeth Sifly and Emma Miller Buchanan in the quarterfinals.
Pratiknjo and Ray claimed the opening set 6-2, but the New Hanover team rallied to win the next two sets 7-5, 6-2 to advance to the semifinals.
Sifly and Buchanan eventually fell to Cardinal Gibbons’ Lu and Rahm, who went on to win the state championship.
Union County Public Schools had seven athletes competing across the 4A and 7A individual state championship brackets, led by Govid’s runner-up finish.
7A Singles
Quarterfinals
Juliana Castellanos Trujillo (Ballantyne Ridge) def. Virginia Breeden (New Hanover) 6-0, 6-0
Kayla Galik (Holly Springs) def. Ashley Cui (Chapel Hill) 6-3, 6-3
Erica Cui (Chapel Hill) def. Jenna Navarro (Cardinal Gibbons) 6-4, 6-2
Ayana Govind (Cuthbertson) def. Moyet LaVigne (New Bern) 6-0, 6-0
Semifinals
Juliana Castellanos Trujillo (Ballantyne Ridge) def. Kayla Galik (Holly Springs) 6-0, 6-0
Ayana Govind (Cuthbertson) def. Erica Cui (Chapel Hill) 6-0, 6-0
Championship
Juliana Castellanos Trujillo (Ballantyne Ridge) def. Ayana Govind (Cuthbertson) 6-0, 6-1
7A Doubles
Quarterfinals
Evie Kayes/Marianna Cuebas (Weddington) def. Elayna Fortun/Lila Brown (New Hanover) 6-4, 6-0
Kylie Ryan/Nicole Ryan (Cardinal Gibbons) def. Ashby Gansman/Addison Powell (Page) 6-3, 6-1
Isabelle Lu/Coco Rahm (Cardinal Gibbons) def. Eva Wilkerson/Kamryn Graves (Page) 6-3, 6-2
Elizabeth Sifly/Emma Miller Buchanan (New Hanover) def. Eleri Pratiknjo/Riona Ray (Marvin Ridge) 2-6, 7-5, 6-2
Semifinals
Kylie Ryan/Nicole Ryan (Cardinal Gibbons) def. Evie Kayes/Marianna Cuebas (Weddington) 6-3, 6-0
Isabelle Lu/Coco Rahm (Cardinal Gibbons) def. Elizabeth Sifly/Emma Miller Buchanan (New Hanover) 6-3, 6-3
Championship
Isabelle Lu/Coco Rahm (Cardinal Gibbons) def. Kylie Ryan/Nicole Ryan (Cardinal Gibbons) 6-1, 6-1
4A Singles
Quarterfinals
Sophie Owen (Brevard) def. Peyton Ford (North Johnston) 6-1, 6-0
Kreeshma Vasikarla (Central Academy) def. Eva Noar (Carrboro) 6-1, 6-2
Kate Champion (Lake Norman Charter) def. Bailey Birrenkott (Carrboro) 6-1, 6-0
Lila Hipp (Brevard) def. Hannah Bulluck (Nash Central) 6-1, 6-0
Semifinals
Sophie Owen (Brevard) def. Kreeshma Vasikarla (Central Academy) 6-1, 6-1
Kate Champion (Lake Norman Charter) def. Lila Hipp (Brevard) 6-0, 4-6, 6-3
Championship
Kate Champion (Lake Norman Charter) def. Sophie Owen (Brevard) 6-3, 3-6, 7-5
4A Doubles
Quarterfinals
Ella Williams/Sidney Stanly (North Johnston) def. Shaena Sharp/Jenna Sain (Newton-Conover) 6-3, 6-4
Beatrice Unwin/Claire O’Brien (Carrboro) def. Jillian Jarrell/Campbell Aron (Salisbury) 6-4, 6-1
Samantha Blitstein/Shayna Blitstein (Lake Norman Charter) def. Helen Clodfelter/Avery Dunbar (Ledford) 6-3, 7-5
Madelyn Day/Julia Cornwell (Burns) def. Joelie Pair/Cate Lee (Washington) 6-2, 6-3
Semifinals
Beatrice Unwin/Claire O’Brien (Carrboro) def. Ella Williams/Sidney Stanley (North Johnston) 6-2, 6-0
Samantha Blitstein/Shayna Blitstein (Lake Norman Charter) def. Madelyn Day/Julia Cornwell (Burns) 6-3, 6-0
Championship
Beatrice Unwin/Claire O’Brien (Carrboro) def. Samantha Blitstein/Shayna Blitstein (Lake Norman Charter) 6-3, 7-6 (7-5)