Luciana Perry at the ITA All-American Championships on Sept. 24, 2026. Credit: Courtesy of Ohio State Athletics.
Luciana Perry added another first to her Ohio State career Sept. 27.
The senior won the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Women’s All-American Championships singles title and secured a spot in the NCAA Championships.
The tournament was the first of the season for Ohio State, and with the win, Perry became the second Buckeye to claim the singles title at the tournament held in Cary, North Carolina.
“It means a lot to me,” Perry said. “It is very prestigious, and it gives me a lot of confidence moving forward.”
Perry won six matches in the singles bracket, defeating Duke’s Mimi Xu in the title after two sets.
Perry’s success didn’t just begin in her senior year. In 2024, she was the ITA National Rookie of the Year and the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. She is also a three-time singles All-American.
Perry hails from Export, Pennsylvania and grew up a Buckeye fan, as her dad lived in Columbus. She has spent all four years of her college career at Ohio State, impressing her coach with her technique and love for the game ever since she was a freshman.
“She’s got the talent,” Schaub said. “She also has the work ethic.”
Schaub explained Perry’s game strengths that make her a dangerous player.
“She has a big forehand; it’s probably one of the better shots in college tennis,” Schaub said.
Perry also competed in doubles, paired with sophomore Flora Johnson. The duo reached the finals and finished second.
Including Perry and Johnson, two other Buckeyes qualified for the NCAA Championships. Nao Nishino was a semifinalist in singles, and Sophia Cisse-Ignatiev got to the finals in the singles consolation bracket.
Perry said seeing her teammates qualify meant a lot and felt exciting.
“I love seeing them succeed,” Perry said. “It’s really exciting because I know we’re going to travel together at the end of November to Athens [Georgia] for NCAA [championships], so just to know that we’re going to keep making memories together and keep competing together is so exciting.”
The tournament was the first chance to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
After qualifying, Perry’s focus now shifts to preparing for the NCAA Championships.
“I’ve been working to try to get in these tournaments since freshman year,” she said. “I’ve always had them as a main goal in my mind.”
Perry went on to explain how much the recognition means to her.
“To see the work pay off as I’ve gone through the different stages of my college life has been really meaningful,” she said.