Over three consecutive weekends in late July and early August, the 2025 USTA Southern California Adult 18 & Over League Sectionals welcomed more than 1,100 of the section’s top players, all competing for a chance to help lead their team to a championship title. Matches were held across multiple premier venues in Beach Cities, including Marina High School, Seal Beach Tennis Center, and Lakewood Tennis Center, with play spanning all skill levels, from 2.5 to 5.0.

The first weekend of competition spotlighted the 2.5 and 3.5 divisions, followed by the 4.0 and 5.0 divisions during the second weekend, and wrapped up with the 3.0 and 4.5 divisions over the third and final weekend. Each weekend included qualifying matches on Friday and Saturday, with championship rounds played on Sunday. Teams not only competed for the title of Sectional Champion, but also for the opportunity to advance to the illustrious 2025 USTA National Championships.

The champions of the 2.5 and 5.0 divisions will advance to the USTA National Championships in Scottsdale, Arizona, taking place from October 10-12. The 3.0 division winners will also compete in Scottsdale, with their event scheduled for October 24-26. Winners of the 3.5 division will head to Surprise, Arizona, for Nationals from October 10-12, while the 4.0 champions will compete in San Diego during the same weekend. The 4.5 division winners will also travel to Surprise, with their championship matches set for October 17-19.

Throughout Adult League Sectionals, match formats varied slightly by division. Most levels followed a five-line format consisting of two singles and three doubles matches, however, the 2.5 and 5.0 divisions used a modified three-line format with one singles and two doubles matches.

In terms of structure, the 2.5 Women’s division featured three unflighted matches, with the top two teams advancing directly to the final. The 3.0 Men’s division followed a similar unflighted format, with the top two teams also advancing to the final. In contrast, the 3.0 Women competed in three flighted matches, with the winner of each flight advancing to the semifinals.

The 3.5 and 4.5 Women’s divisions, along with the 4.5 Men’s division, all followed an unflighted format consisting of three matches, with the top four teams moving on to the semifinals. The 3.5 Men’s division used a flighted structure, where the winner of each flight and the best second-place team advanced to the semifinals.

Similarly, the 4.0 Women’s division was unflighted, with the top four teams advancing to the semifinals, while the 4.0 Men’s division was flighted, with each flight winner and the top second-place team earning a spot in the semifinals.

The 5.0 Women’s division featured three unflighted matches, with the top two teams advancing to the final. On the men’s side, the 5.0 division was flighted, and the winner of each flight advanced directly to the final.

Weekend #1 (July 25-27): 2.5 / 3.5

2.5 WOMEN – Earning the first Sectionals title of the three-weekend event, San Diego came out on top in the Women’s 2.5 division. Captained by Karina Contreras, the team hailing from Coronado Tennis Center was resilient all tournament long. After dropping their opening match of the weekend, they bounced back with consecutive victories over teams from Los Angeles and San Diego North County. Their performance secured them the second seed in their flight and a spot in the finals, against the very team that had defeated them just days earlier. In a rematch against Caroline Tran’s undefeated “Ace Hole’s,” San Diego avenged their loss with a 2-1 victory, securing them the championship.

3.5 WOMEN – Adding to their title count on the first weekend of play, San Diego captured another championship, this time in the Women’s 3.5 division. Kristine Nguyen and Sarah Eade’s “Penn Pals” were dominant throughout, kicking off their undefeated run with wins over teams from Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Inland Empire. Earning the second overall seed heading into the playoffs, the San Diegans first faced an undefeated Orange County squad in the semifinals, where they advanced in commanding fashion with a sweep on all lines. The final was a clash of unbeatens, as San Diego squared off against Jennifer Hackett’s team from San Diego North County. Once again, Nguyen’s squad left no doubt, delivering another 5-0 sweep to claim the Sectionals championship.

3.5 MEN – Closing out the first weekend of competition, Orange County emerged as champions in the Men’s 3.5 division. Derek Lee and Nicholas Lau’s “Meta Legend” excelled in flighted round-robin play, going undefeated with wins over teams from Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and the San Gabriel Valley. Advancing to the playoffs, they secured a semifinal victory over Inland Empire, earning their spot in the championship match. In a showdown between two undefeated teams, OC faced off against Phi Ngo and Kevin Dang’s “Elevenis” from Inland Empire. In a tightly contested final, Orange County edged out a 3-2 win to complete their perfect weekend and capture the Sectionals title.

SPIRIT AWARD WINNER – Taking home the fourth Spirit Award of the 2025 season, and the first for their area, San Gabriel Valley’s “Chow Fun” was selected for best embodying the spirit and energy of Southern California over the weekend. Led by captain Josie Chow, the team earned the honor through a fan-voting contest held across USTA SoCal’s social media platforms, where supporters from all channels cast their votes to determine the winner.

Weekend #2 (August 1-3): 4.0 / 5.0

4.0 WOMEN – Kicking off the second weekend of play just as they did the first, San Diego captured the opening title of the weekend, this time in the Women’s 4.0 division. Led by Grace Ogihara, the “Penn Pros” began their unbeaten run with three wins against teams from San Diego North County, Los Angeles, and San Fernando Valley. Advancing to the playoffs, San Diego first faced Beach Cities, where they maintained their dominance with a 5-0 sweep. In the championship match against Orange County’s “Cute on the Court” squad, led by Julie Mak and Hye Jin Robertson, the “Penn Pros” once again emerged victorious with a 4-1 win, securing the title.

4.0 MEN – Led by captains Joe Chan and Steve Oetomo, San Fernando Valley captured the Men’s 4.0 division title, their first of the two weekends. The “Northridge Quakes” went 3-0 in flighted play, securing the top seed with key victories over San Diego North County, Coachella Valley, and San Gabriel Valley. In the semifinals, they edged out Orange County before pulling off a hard-fought win against San Diego in a tight championship match. San Diego’s team from Balboa Tennis Center, captained by Kevin Mallery and Jed Galan, also went undefeated in flighted play and earned a tough semifinal victory over Los Angeles to advance to the final, where they ultimately finished as runners-up.

5.0 WOMEN – Continuing to build on their excellence over the first two weekends, San Diego claimed the Women’s 5.0 division title. Led by Claudia Roehr and Deborah Lee-Tep, the team started strong, going 3-0 in unflighted play with wins over San Fernando Valley and two Orange County teams to secure a playoff spot. Advancing to the championship match as the top seed, they swept Los Angeles to claim the title. The finalists, Lauren DiFazio’s “Sets and the City,” were equally impressive, also posting a perfect 3-0 record in unflighted play. This victory marked San Diego’s fourth Sectionals title over the three weekends and the area’s seventh overall, the most of any Southern California section so far in the 2025 season.

5.0 MEN – Triumphing in the Men’s 5.0 division, Beach Cities secured its first Sectionals title of the weekend and second of the season. Led by captain Simon Peters, the “Alta Vista” team went 2-1 in flighted play with wins over teams from San Diego and Los Angeles. In the finals, they faced the winners of the other flight and claimed the championship with a clean sweep. Finishing as runners-up, Oluwatobi Ojo’s team from San Diego’s Peninsula Tennis Center also delivered a strong performance, posting a solid 2-1 record in flighted play.

SPIRIT AWARD WINNER – San Diego’s “Mountain View” team earned the fifth Spirit Award of the 2025 season, and the second for their area this year, recognized for best capturing the Southern California pride during the event. Led by captain Julie Wunderly, the team was selected as the victor through a fan-voted contest hosted across USTA SoCal’s social media channels.

Weekend #3 (August 8-10): 3.0 / 4.5

3.0 WOMEN – Captained by Doree Shafrir and Elizabeth Leiner, the Los Angeles “WeHo Slicers” completed an undefeated weekend, earning themselves the title as 3.0 Women’s champions. On their path to the title, LA defeated teams from San Diego North County, Beach Cities, and Ventura County during flighted play. Entering the playoffs as a top seed, LA swept Orange County 5-0 in the semifinals. In the championship match against San Diego, another undefeated team, LA edged out a narrow victory to secure the title. This marked Los Angeles’ second Sectionals title of the season and the first for any team from the area over the three weekends of competition. Earning recognition as finalists, Hillary Kleiner and Lisa Bolelli’s team from San Diego Tennis and Racquet Club went undefeated until the championship match.

3.0 MEN – Taking home their second Sectionals title over the three weekends, and third overall in the 2025 season, San Fernando Valley prevailed in the Men’s 3.0 division. Captained by Michael Pazirandeh, the “Breaking Bad Blazers” were strong in unflighted play, finishing 2-1 with wins against two teams from Beach Cities. As the second-best team following their qualifying matches, SFV advanced directly to the championship, where they faced an undefeated squad from Los Angeles. In the finals, the “Breaking Bad Blazers” overcame LA with a 3-2 victory to secure the title. Los Angeles’ “Queen Anne,” captained by Anthony Canapi and Charlotte Gray, had not dropped a match prior to the final.

4.5 WOMEN – Claiming the area’s first title over the three weekends, San Gabriel Valley secured the Women’s 4.5 championship, marking their sixth overall title this season—the second most in the section. Under the leadership of Jane Wang and Hatty Yip, the “Dare Doubles” went undefeated in their qualifying matches, beating teams from Beach Cities, San Diego North County and San Diego. Advancing to the championship, SGV squeaked out a close 3-2 win over Priscilla Martinez and Ana Seelinger’s SD “Mean Girls Squad,” who were also undefeated entering the match.

4.5 MEN – Capping off the three weekends of competition, Orange County claimed its second Sectionals title of the span, and its fifth overall this season. Led by Mathew Gonzales and Edward Choi, “The Rookies” posted an undefeated 5-0 record throughout the event. In flighted play, OC notched wins over teams from Los Angeles, San Diego North County and Ventura County. They then faced Beach Cities in the semifinals, emerging with a victory to set up a championship clash with an unbeaten team from Los Angeles. In the final, OC sealed the title with a decisive 3-2 win to complete their dominant run. The finalists, Victor Burga and Tushar Sharma’s “Hitmen” were equally impressive throughout the weekend, having not lost a match until the finale.

SPIRIT AWARD WINNER –Recognized with the sixth Spirit Award of the 2025 season and first for the area this year, Ventura County’s “Westlake Village” squad was chosen for best capturing SoCal spirit during the event. Led by captain Lisa Weiss, the team was picked as the victor with supporters across various social media channels selecting them as the winning team.

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