The state finals in girls tennis are here.
The action starts with Division 4 on May 27-28, Division 1 on May 29-30, Division 2 from June 3-4 and ends with Division 3 on June 5-6.
Here are the Metro Detroit teams to watch when the action kicks off.
Division 1
Utica Eisenhower
After two straight runner-up finishes, Utica Eisenhower is motivated to finally reach the top of the mountain. Last year, Northville edged out Utica Eisenhower by just one point. Utica Eisenhower deploys many of the same faces this year that they did in 2025, including the top three singles players in the lineup. No. 1 singles player Gabriella Sadowski won the individual title in 2024, but then lost in the final last season while sophomore Morgan Emerick won the No. 2 singles championship last season, and is a favorite to repeat. No. 4 singles Sofia Gardner is seeded 2nd and No. 1 doubles pair Alexis Gabriel and Kara Lu are the four seed.
Northville
Division 1’s defending state champion is loaded up to make a run at a repeat. Northville leans on its depth. Michelle Lee and Emma Murphy are the top seed at No. 4 doubles with Francine Ong and Sravya Doppalapudi leading the way at No. 2 doubles. Murphy, Ong and Doppalapudi all won flight championships in 2025, leading the way to Northville to win a surprise state championship. With Emmi Dober, Mackenzie McPhail, Lucia Lachapelle and Aadya Pullalarevu also in the doubles lineup, it would be no surprise to see Northville get its second title in a row.
Novi
Much like Northville, Novi relies on its doubles lineup to rack up the wins. All four doubles flights are seeded for Novi. No. 2 doubles pair Emily Backus and Sruthi Karthik are seeded 2nd, lost in the final of the No. 3 doubles flight last year. Mathanghi Ram and Rujuta Deshpande are the four seed at No. 3 doubles, giving Novi chances at deep runs in the middle of the doubles lineup. Last year’s No. 4 singles state champion, Rebecca Liu, is at No. 2 singles this year. Liu beat Northville in the No. 2 singles regional final this year, and could be an upset candidate at that spot.
Division 2
Birmingham Seaholm
With Birmingham Seaholm holding top seeds in seven of the eight flights in Division 2 it looks like there is a clear favorite in this division on paper. Devon Rusk and Sabrina Dunn are favorites and No. 2 and No. 3 singles while last year’s No. 4 singles finalist Izzy Bloom is at the same position again. Kate Crowley and Cate French are partnered at No. 3 doubles, which is where they won the state title last year. Same goes for Allina Villaire at No. 4 doubles, with new partner Jacqueline Supanich, as well as Anna Olekszyk at No. 2 doubles who is with Katie Joyce this year. Joyce and Villaire were partners last year. Birmingham Seaholm is talent and experience mixed together, and the combination could yield a third state title in four tries.
Farmington Hills Mercy
Farmington Hills Mercy is ranked third in Division 2 but could be the biggest contender to Birmingham Seaholm. No. 1 singles Keira Kirkland, a finalist at No. 2 singles a year ago, is seeded 3rd and has a host of second-seeded flights behind her. Two seeds include No. 2 singles player Alexa Dueweke, Scarlett Manchinger at No. 3 singles and the No. 2 doubles pair of Anna Naida and last year’s No. 4 singles state champion Gabby Owens. Add in Kaitlyn Duneske and Emily Thompson as the third-seeded No. 3 doubles team and you have a contender.
Birmingham Groves
Another team that shines through its depth is Birmingham Groves. Ranked fourth in the state in the latest Division 2 poll, Birmingham Groves has all four doubles flights in line to make deep runs. No. 1 doubles pair Anabel Christman and Kara Clinkscale are the seeded 3rd, and so are Lula Yessian and Kaylee Bryant at No. 4 doubles. At No. 2 doubles, Yasmine Osta and Anabella Chebl are the four seed, just like No. 3 doubles pair Jamie Bloom and Chloe Nemeth. If Birmingham Groves is going to have a special tournament, it will be because of a true strength in numbers performance.
Division 3
Detroit Country Day
Division 3 has had a familiar name atop the rankings all season long, two-time defending champion Detroit Country Day. With five flight one seeds, it is easy to see why. No. 1 singles player Chloe Conniff leads the way, with last year’s No. 3 singles champion Karishma Vakharia the favorite at No. 2 singles as well. Not only does Detroit Country Day feature top-end talent, depth is a massive strength as well. Quinn Norlander and Helen Benjamin are the top seed at No. 1 doubles and Grace Kalkanis pairs with Zoe Bergg to form the top seed at No. 2 doubles. With Jiya Gill and Zoe Grebinski as the top No. 4 doubles team on paper too, Detroit Country Day should be considered a favorite in Division 3.
Birmingham Marian
Ranked No. 2 in Division 3 for most of the year, Marian has firepower throughout the lineup. Marian has the top seed at No. 4 singles in Gwen Stepak, as well as several other contenders in the doubles lineup. Lizzie Plunkett and Clare Reaume are one of three flights seeded second for Marian. The other two flights are Lexa Hindo and Emerson Villalba at No. 3 doubles and Emerson Turkot and Stella Glorio at No. 2 doubles. Hindo and Glorio teamed up for a state title at No. 3 doubles a year ago. Marian will need a top-notch performance, but the recipe is there to compete for a state championship.
Division 4
Ann Arbor Greenhills
As one might expect, four-time defending state champion Ann Arbor Greenhills is once again ranked atop Division 4. A big reason for that is No. 1 star Nina Malani, the top seed at the flight. Malani, the defending No. 4 singles state champion, is one of four top seeds that Greenhills features. Danica Rakic-Dennis won the No. 1 doubles title last season, and returns to that position with a 2025 No. 3 doubles champion Lauren Ye. At No. 4 doubles, Aofie Tang and Linnea Bengston are the top seed, and same with No. 4 singles Jahan Soofi. This is a loaded roster that will be one to keep an eye on.
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep
The past two seasons have seen Notre Dame Prep finish right behind Ann Arbor Greenhills, and once again Notre Dame Prep is ranked second in the division. The No. 2 doubles team of Vanessa Artinian and Regina Carpenese are the top seed in the flight. Artinian is already a state champion, winning the No. 4 doubles flight last year with Eliana Vandieren. Vandieren and Paige Schepper are seeded 2nd at No. 1 doubles. Isabelle Kelly is also a contender at No. 2 singles as the two seed.
Griffin Beers is a freelance writer.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Girls tennis state team finals preview: Utica Eisenhower, Northville hunt for title
Reporting by Griffin Beers, Special to The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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