The day after Labor Day, Ava Hertz—a talented junior out of the Sunshine State–committed to attend Columbia in the Ivy League but knew there would be one major adjustment she will have to make.

“This Florida girl will need to buy some warmer clothes for sure!” she laughs.

Here’s our Line Drive Q&A with the outfielder who is excited to play for Lions Head Coach Jennifer Teague and get an education at the prestigious academic school…

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The Basics

• Player Name:  Ava Hertz
• Grad Year: 2027
• Position: OF
• Club Team: Tampa Mustangs 16U – Rene
• High School (with City/ST): Seminole High School (Sanford, F)
• Top Honors:
  • Florida Class 7A State Runner-Up (2024)
  • 2^nd Team All-SAC (2025)
  • “Team Spirit” Award for Seminole High
  • USA Softball HPP Invite (2024)
  • Israeli 16U Triple Crown International Challenge Team Member
  • AP Scholar
  • National Merit Scholar
• Committed To: Columbia University

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Our Q&A with Ava…

When did you officially commit? 

On September 2, 2025.

How did you do it & where (in-person, phone call, email, Zoom, etc.)? 

I was on the phone cracking jokes with Coach Teague on September 2^nd and at the end of the call she gave me three options. 

She was laughing and said Option 1 was that I couldn’t stand the coaches and wanted nothing more to do with Columbia.  I laughed and told her I didn’t like Option 1. 

Option 2 was to take my time and visit first and see what other options were out there and that she would hold my offer for me until I decided. 

Option 3 was to tell her right there that I wanted to be a Lion and commit. 

I looked at my Dad, he nodded it was OK, and I told her right then that I wanted to be part of the Columbia program.   It was an incredible moment after all these years of hard work to reach my dream in an instant.   

What factors were key in your choice? 

Education and the quality of the degree were very important to me to narrow down my initial school choice targets. 

I was only looking at high academic schools throughout my recruiting process which helped me not spread myself too thin while looking for schools. 

Once I chose the schools to target, I wanted to find a school where I connected perfectly on a personal level with the coaches I would play for at the next level. 

I just felt that Coach Teague, Coach (Andrea) Bombace and Coach (Madison) Maida were exactly the type of people that I wanted to play for to get the most out of me as a player and grow me as a person. 

After the second camp I attended at Columbia, I was walking away from the field with my Dad and I immediately told him that was where I wanted to go and I got lucky enough to get that chance.   

Did you do anything to celebrate the big decision? 

Honestly, I haven’t done anything crazy yet. 

To tell you the truth, I still can’t believe it happened.  It’s a very surreal experience to reach a long-term goal like this and I’m still just enjoying that feeling. 

I am likely taking my official visit after the New Year and I’m sure we’ll celebrate during that trip to the Big Apple.   

Did you take official visits (if so, to where & when)? 

I didn’t. 

I was a camp rat, so I visited a bunch of the schools I was interested in all throughout the camping process leading up to September 1st. 

I was pretty sure Columbia was interested in me but I was not expecting an offer that early in the process, so I was planning on taking visits to the schools I liked and then hopefully getting opportunities to assess along the way. 

My official visit for Columbia will most likely be in January and I’m so excited to put on the uniform, meet some future teammates and see the facilities and campus up close. 

What did your future coaches say they liked about your game enough to offer you? 

I loved their approach with me during the process. 

They made it clear that they thought I was a good player and could make an impact on the field, but their real focus was on my attitude, energy and the vibe I could bring to the team and the dugout. 

My current travel team, Tampa Mustangs – Rene, is filled with incredible talent. 

Three girls on my team are going to the University of Tennessee amongst other several other high-level D1 programs. 

I’ve had to fight for every opportunity I get because of how good my teammates are and the coaches at Columbia appreciated that effort in evaluating me as a player. 

Coach Teague is very focused on bringing in the right talent to fit into her culture rather than just finding the most talented players and hoping it works. 

That focus on culture was very important to me because I thrive as a player and person in the right environment.     

Have they (college coaches) said how they see using you once you are on campus? 

I’m a pure outfielder, not a utility player, so they plan to use me wherever I’m needed in the outfield.  I’ve played all three outfield positions for years, so I’ll go wherever the team needs me.  They also liked my athleticism and my ability to get extra bases as a hitter or on the base paths.   

What, in your opinion, are 1-3 of your biggest softball accomplishments? 

Number 1 by far is finishing runner-up for a state championship in my freshman year in high school and hitting a double in the state championship game. 

Seminole High School doesn’t have a rich softball history, and we were the first team in school history to play in the state championship game because we had the perfect mix of culture and D1 talent including Anne Long (South Florida), Olivia Burkshire (USC-Upstate) and Addison Poe (Central Florida commit)). 

I also am very proud of making the Israeli 16u team for the Triple Crown International Challenge last summer.  I had a great time experiencing other cultures, saw a ton of old friends on different teams and enjoyed representing my heritage. 

Lastly, winning the Stephanie Phillips Leadership Award back in 12U when I was in the Atlanta Vipers organization was a nice honor.  I believe that leadership is the key to good teams being great and it was an honor for my leadership to be recognized in that way.   

Anything else you’d like to add about this exciting event? 

I am just so excited to get to the next level and help Columbia compete for its first Ivy League title in school history. 

I would tell anyone else entering their recruiting cycle to really do their homework to figure out what they want in a school and go after those schools that they truly think are the best fit for them athletically, academically and culturally. 

I found that in Columbia and it makes me so motivated to get up to NYC and play for titles!!