Tennis player of the year: Troy's Ramos

High school tennis players come and go.

Very few leave a legacy for coaches and tennis fans to talk about for years after they depart.

Troy's Alison Ramos certainly has left an impression.

When all is said and done, Ramos will be remembered as the deft tennis player who stormed back from a tough CIF Tournament finale loss her junior year to cap an unbeaten senior year with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Stacey Tan of Lakewood to win the CIF Individuals Tennis Singles Championship.

Ramos, who will don cardinal and gold next fall at USC, has also relished the taste of success with four Freeway League titles and a CIF-Southern Section Division II title.

But the one that got away last year was a hard loss to swallow. And Ramos was determined to go out on top. She did that by playing smart tennis — a sign of her maturation — and flummoxing opponents with her ability to figure out their game and turn it against them.

Ramos led the Warriors to the semifinals of the CIF-Southern Section Division I semifinals. Her presence on the court was reason enough to make coaches nervous, leading many opponents to switch lineups in an attempt to win points elsewhere (either singles or doubles), knowing it would be difficult to beat her.

And nobody did.

For her accomplishments, leadership and respect for the sport, coaches and teammates, Ramos is The Register's 2007 Girls Tennis Player of the Year.

Troy coach Donna Judd can count her blessings as well. She has coached three consecutive Register players of the year. Ramos earned the award last year, too.

“It's been amazing to watch her progress over the years,” Judd said.

A stellar high school tennis career has come to an end, and her farewell was emotional for Ramos.

The feeling is mutual.

Contact the writer: mmelendez@ocregister.com