All during high school, Arianna Huang (‘25) has made 28 a number to keep an eye out for on the lacrosse turf. Huang has been a powerhouse for South, whether she’s dodging defenders, driving her way towards the crease, or excelling in the classroom.

     “She’s so graceful when she plays,” said goalkeeper Emma Tardieu (‘26). 

     Huang is a midfielder, tallying 89 goals and 50 ground balls across her four varsity seasons. She has been a significant factor in the Pirate’s  record this year, leading her team to five more wins than in the 2024 season. She was also the recipient of the team’s MVP award this year.

     Head coach Tracy Klugerman described her mastery on the field. “She’s got a strong cradle, she’s strong catching in a crowd, she’s got a really nice pinpoint shot, and she also hustles back on defense–so she’s really an all around player.” 

     Teammate Sophia Latif Estafan (‘26) said, “She’s been the leading scorer for two seasons.” . 

     Huang began playing in third grade on a recreational team. Once she got to middle school, her love for sports grew. “I tried a bunch of different sports. I used to swim, I used to play volleyball in high school too, but lacrosse has been my main one. I like the team aspect of it and I just have the most fun playing it.”

     A key factor in Arianna’s journey is her ability to answer when her team needs her the most. “We can count on her,” said Klugerman. “She takes the draw, she plays at the top of our zone on defense, and she is probably our most dominant offensive player. She’s sort of a fly under the radar player.” 

    While Arianna dominated on the turf in the spring, she was also busy applying to colleges, though not specifically for sports. When May 1 rolled around, she accepted admission to USC “Even though I had committed, it was still hard for me to imagine myself so far from my family,” said Huang. A couple weeks later she received a call that would change the course of the next four years.  

     “I got a call while I was in AP Environmental Science and got off the Princeton waitlist. At that point it was easy for me to make the decision and I committed to Princeton that day.” At Princeton, Huang won’t be playing on the university lacrosse team, but she is looking forward to playing on a club team while there. 

     “I would say that the college decision process is definitely a very emotional and difficult one, but I genuinely believe you’ll always end up where you belong.”