Senior Bella Mariona has driven the varsity tennis team since she was a freshman. With an individual CCS title, a team States victory and a national doubles win on her impressive resume, Bella will take her talent to North Carolina next fall, with a Division I commitment to Wake Forest University.
Growing up in a family of athletes, sports were always in Bella’s blood. Her brother and father both played professional soccer, and her mom played tennis at Wimbledon in 1997. Bella followed them all, starting both soccer and tennis at an early age.
“I started playing tennis at only three years old with my mom as my coach,” Bella said. “She was one of the top junior players in Asia and has been a supporting force for my entire life.”
Starting out as a two-sport athlete and guided by her mom and coaches, Bella learned to balance the sports and keep the game fun before taking it too seriously.
“When you start sports at such a young age, you have to learn to enjoy it first,” Bella said. “My coaches had to focus on making sure I wouldn’t overdo it so I could like it enough to keep playing.”
Once she started high school, Bella honed in on tennis. Coaches immediately noticed Bella’s natural reaction speed and ball strike as qualities that set her apart from other players her age.
In the last few years, Bella has further stacked her competitive tennis resume with accomplishments. Among the class of 2026, she is ranked 40th nationally and 9th in California.
Earlier this year at the United States Tennis Association (USTA) doubles championships, she and her partner faced off against the third seeds from UCLA and won in a game that stretched to the third set.
“It was a big upset to beat them,” Bella said. “A lot of people did not expect that we would win.”
Despite her extensive tournament career, high school tennis remains important to Bella. Last year, she helped lead the Los Altos varsity tennis team to a NorCal championship title, a moment she cherishes.
This fall, Bella led the team to another NorCal title and helped win the State championship — where the Eagles fell short last year. Having wrapped up her senior season, Bella has her eyes on the farther future: college.
Bella’s initial recruitment search was focused on California colleges because of their proximity to home and her familiarity with West Coast tennis. But upon visiting Wake Forest, that perspective shifted. The university’s intimate campus, strong academics, elite tennis program and close-knit team culture made it a better fit for Bella than some of the larger California schools.
“Wake Forest has a more homey feeling for me and I felt more of a connection there,” Bella said. “It’s a smaller school, so I’ll be able to see the same people and know lots of familiar faces.”
But until she heads off to Winston-Salem, N.C., Bella’s leadership shows in the way she supports her teammates.
“Bella is a great teammate, she’s always so supportive and checks in with everyone after their games,” senior Pallavi Mallampati said. “Also, she gives very helpful advice and tips that have helped me.”
With a commitment to Wake Forest, Bella’s path continues alongside the one inspired by her mother’s professional career. From those early lessons to a DI roster spot, she hopes to carry her mother’s legacy to Winston-Salem.
