BLOOMFIELD/ORANGE, NJ — She may not have quite the experienced group around her as last fall, but Bloomfield’s Aria Nina Abalos remains a force to be reckoned with as one of the state’s elite first singles tennis players as a junior tri-captain at Montclair Kimberley Academy.
The reigning New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s state singles champion has guided MKA to a 7-4 record through its first 11 matches, including a semifinal finish in the Essex County Tournament on Saturday, Sept. 21. The Cougars fell to eventual ECT team champion, No. 2-ranked Newark Academy, 4-1, but Abalos did her winning best, defeating the Minutemen’s top player, Ayanna Varman, 6-4, 6-1, at first singles.
Newark Academy won its first ECT title in 23 years, defeating Millburn, 4-1, in the ECT final.
MKA defeated West Orange, 5-0, in ECT first round action, and then neighboring rival Montclair, 4-1, in the quarters, as Abalos dominated her matches.
The ultra-talented Bloomfield resident has been unbeaten on the court so far in 2024 with successful matches, including breezing past No. 15-ranked Anoushka Dhawan of Livingston in their first singles match in regular season action on Sept. 6.
“Nina is such a hard worker and a big part of the team that she loves and they love her,” said veteran MKA coach Bill Wing. “She remains one of the top tennis players in New Jersey, while continuing to lead our team.”
It’s already been quite the scholastic career for Abalos, and with another full season still to go in 2025.
She remained determined throughout her championship sophomore season, no matter what the challenges were, such as overcoming leg cramps and a strong challenge from Shore Regional’s second-seeded freshman phenom Alina Vysochenko to emerge as the NJSIAA state singles tournament champion, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, on Oct. 19, 2023, at Mercer County Park in West Windsor.
“It was just an incredible performance from Nina and a very exciting moment for MKA tennis,” said Wing. “She was dehydrated from working so hard out there against a really good player in Alina, and up 5-1 in the third set, she persevered through leg cramps, got back on a good pace out there and played strong to finish winning a state championship.”
The 2023 state singles title also came on a very special day for other reasons for Abalo, since it was also her 16th birthday.
“It was one of the best birthdays I could hope for,” the MKA star said at the time. “To have my whole family, the MKA family and my GSTC family all there to support and congratulate my win and celebrate my birthday with me was icing on the cake.
“I’m so grateful to my team members who missed a day of school to warm me up and even stayed late after my match to have cupcakes.”
Abalos is also the second MKA tennis player to win a state singles title, joining Chisako Sugivyama, also a standout at University of Michigan, who captured her state championship back in 2003.
The entire MKA community will not soon forget the 2023 Cougars girls tennis team and its accomplishments. They may not have won the overall Non-Public team state championship after being edged 3-2 by their archrival Newark Academy in the Non-Public, North semifinals, but as two-time ECT champions, with Abalos winning the county singles title, and a fine 19-1 season in dual matches to clinch the Super Essex Conference-American Division title, it was quite the season to relish.
The Cougars also captured the 2023 prep B state championship, a title they’ll make another run at this season.
“Nina capped off a tremendous season last fall with a state singles championship,” said Wing. “We are thrilled to have her out there for us once again at first singles in each and every match.”
Photos Courtesy of Montclair Kimberley Academy
Montclair Kimberley Academy’s Aria Nina Abalos still a force as reigning state girls tennis champ added by Steve Tober on
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