WEEKEND #2: OCTOBER 25-27, 2024 

— Women’s 18 & Over 3.5 — 2nd Place

With the first top-four finish of any Southern California team at Nationals, Orange County’s “Laguna Angels” secured second place in the 3.5 division of Women’s 18 & Over. Within rounders, the squad led by Elyzabeth Pham and Genesis Arreola was impressive, ending their play with a 3-1 record. Here, they picked up wins  over teams from Southwest, New England and Missouri Valley, all of which ended in clean sweeps of 5-0. With the fourth best record among all teams in terms of team and individual score, the Laguna Angels advanced to the playoffs where they would face the top-seeded team from Northern California. Upsetting their same-state foes with a final of 4-1, Pham and Arreola’s bunch advanced to the finals, where they were closely defeated by Florida in a score of 3-2. 

“If I had to say anything about this SoCal team, the ladies have grit,” Pham stated. “Our team name is Laguna Angels, because we are from Laguna Niguel Racquet Club, and I start all of my messages with “Hello Angels,” channeling Charlie’s Angels. However this time around, it felt like the angels were looking out for us. That, and I have some terrific players on the team. Props to Tom, India and the tournament staff who ran a tight ship. The officials were there when you needed them and everything ran so smoothly and on time.”

— Women’s 40 & Over 3.0 — 1st Place

Taking home the first National Championship of the 2024 season for team SoCal, Meredith Levine and Jo Ann Thrailkill’s bunch from San Fernando Valley clinched first place in the 3.0 division of Women’s 40 & Over. Dominating the competition within the round robin, the SFV ladies bested teams from Missouri Valley, Intermountain, Texas and Southwest. Earning their spot as the No. 2 seed entering playoffs, SoCal was matched up with the team from Northern California, who also entered the playoffs as undefeated. In a second interstate playoff showdown, SoCal would once again prevail, winning the match by a score of 3-2. In the finals, it was another battle of undefeated teams, as SoCal would face another tough task against the team from Middle States. Etching their name into the history books, SFV capped off their monumental weekend with a 4-1 victory, earning them the distinction of champions.

“Our team finished second at Sectionals after a battle with Orange County,” Levine shared. “When we found out Orange County didn’t have enough players to field a team to go to Nationals, the SoCal bid was ours, and we had the second chance of a lifetime! This team is dedicated, talented, kind and driven. They know how to pull out a “W” on the court, and the 95-degree Scottsdale heat couldn’t stop them! Jo Ann and I could not be more proud of the San Fernando Volley Girls and are thrilled to hang our banner at Burbank Tennis Center!”

— Women’s 40 & Over 4.0 — 4th Place

The third Orange County team to place over the weekend, Julie Mak’s “Classy on the Court” walked away from the 4.0 Women’s 40 & Over Nationals with a fourth place finish. Making quick work of their first four opponents in rounders, the OC ladies went undefeated with victories over teams from the Caribbean, Texas, Hawaii and Northern sections. With a tough playoff draw, SoCal nearly fell to teams from Florida and Midwest, ending their weekend as a top-four team. 

“My team had an amazing experience this past weekend at Nationals at the USTA National Campus this year,” shared Mak. “We wouldn’t have had the opportunity to visit this ginormous tennis complex, if not for USTA Nationals. Traveling to these events gave us first hand experience as to the life of professional tennis players. It was a great weekend of competitive tennis, camaraderie with the team and a fun girls trip to boot. Going into Nationals, we were cautiously optimistic on our results, as I know it’s hard to win Nationals or even place in the top four in the nation. We’re extremely proud to represent Southern California. Our “Classy on the Court” girls battled and played our hearts out, and we feel privileged to take the number four spot.”

— Women’s 40 & Over 4.5 — 4th Place

Earning a fourth place in the 4.5 division of Women’s 40 & Over Nationals, Los Angeles’ “Slay All Day” captured the fourth top-4 placement among SoCal teams. Led by April Hartstein, the ladies from LA secured a 3-1 record within the round robin, with their victories coming against teams from the Southwest, Intermountain and Hawaii sections. Earning a spot as the No. 4 seed in the playoffs, LA was defeated by a score of 3-2 against teams from the Southern and Mid-Atlantic sections, ending their weekend in fourth place.

“As this was my first trip to Nationals, I really didn’t know what to expect as a Captain or a player. I immediately saw many similarities to our SoCal sectionals events, but with more intensity,” captain Hartstein said. “Though SoCal sectionals are always very competitive, stakes are even higher at Nationals and have the added challenge that the competition is completely unknown.  Our team put in many hours of practice and match play to prepare which really showed on the court.  We had so many challenging matches, many that came down to just two points in the third-set tiebreak.  We are a small but mighty group and have grown to be not only determined teammates, but great friends as well.  I am ecstatic with how we did, but also have new goals set for next year!  Tennis is truly our happy place and we’re all thankful that the USTA has given us the platform to compete and succeed, but also opportunities to strive for more.”

— Men’s 40 & Over 4.5 — 2nd Place

The first Southern California men’s team to place at Nationals, the bunch out of San Gabriel Valley took home second place in the 4.0 division of Men’s 40 & Over. Led by Kenny Pedroza, the “LOTA Acorns” had a very strong showing throughout the round robin. Here, they compiled a record of 4-0, while taking down teams from the Caribbean, Middle States, New England and Eastern sections. As the No. 2 seed entering playoffs, the SGV squad matched up against Mid-Atlantic, a fellow undefeated team. Squeaking out a 3-2 victory, SoCal advanced to the championship, where they were ultimately bested by the team out of the Southern Section in a 3-2 final. 

“Our team lost in the final at Nationals. While the result initially felt disappointing in that we were so close to winning the National title for Southern California, our team had the unique experience to bond throughout the weekend of play in ways that brought us all closer as teammates and friends,” Pedroza mentioned. “We left Arizona with an immense sense of pride in the result we achieved, an ever-growing love of the game that means so much to us, and an appreciation for the way in which the USTA put on such a wonderful, player-friendly, experience. Having an opportunity to compete at Nationals really motivates our players to keep playing in leagues, working hard on their games, with the opportunity to once again play against the best players throughout the Country.”