Mustangs Return as State Championship Finalists
A Near-Perfect Season
After 13 years, the Mustang girls tennis team returned as State Championship finalists for the 2025–2026 season. Competing at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, under 95°F heat and high humidity, the team battled fearlessly against reigning champions Maggie Walker.
This remarkable and near-perfect season will inspire the team as they prepare and look ahead to next year’s competition.
A Family Built Around Tennis
Ana Vuckovic, a senior, and her sister Mia Vuckovic, a freshman at Meridian High School, have been a constant presence on the tennis courts of Falls Church’s public parks since childhood, spending countless days honing their skills.
Rain or shine, whether in 30- or 100-degree weather, light drizzle, or even snow, they could always be found playing.
The Championship Final
Last week, the sisters led the Mustang girls tennis team to the Virginia state championship final, where the team narrowly missed capturing the title.
Hoping to replicate their earlier success against reigning champions Maggie Walker, the Mustangs fought hard. However, after a grueling first-set tiebreak, Mia was forced to forfeit her match due to a recurring injury, and the team’s last hope of securing the championship slipped away.
Ana’s Standout Career
Ana will graduate as this year’s Most Valuable Player after another undefeated season.
Ana finishes her high school career with an almost perfect four-year record. As one of the youngest in her class, she will still be eligible to continue competing in USTA tournaments nationwide during her freshman year at college while training with George Mason University’s tennis programs.
After excelling in both tennis and volleyball while playing for both high school teams, she plans to study kinesiology at George Mason University, aspiring to build a career in physical therapy and sports medicine.
Mia Looks Ahead
With Ana graduating, team leadership now passes to Mia, who won the regional singles championship two weeks ago and represented Meridian at the Virginia State Finals last week.
In the semifinal match, she faced Blythe Sturman, a highly ranked junior from Western Albemarle at Charlottesville, and one of the top players in the Mid-Atlantic region in the under-18 category. After building a decisive lead in the second set, Mia narrowly lost 6–3, 6–4, but showed resilience by finishing the match despite challenging heat, humidity, and injury.
