OC Leads Charge As Four Areas Capture First Titles of
2025 Season at 40 & Over League Sectionals

The 2025 USTA Southern California Adult 40 & Over League Sectionals brought together nearly 1,200 of the region’s top competitors for two action-packed weekends of tennis in May. Held at premier San Diego venues, including Barnes Tennis Center, Peninsula Tennis Club, and Balboa Tennis Club, the event featured spirited match play across the 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, and Capstone Divisions.

Weekend one spotlighted the 3.5 and 4.5 divisions, while weekend two featured 3.0, 4.0, and Capstone competitors, with qualifying rounds held Friday and Saturday, and championship matches on Sunday. Teams battled not only for sectional titles but also for the ultimate prize: a coveted spot into the 2025 USTA National Championships. The Sectionals delivered an inspiring showcase of skill, camaraderie, and the relentless drive that defines adult league tennis in Southern California.

Weekend #1: May 16-18

The 2025 USTA Southern California Adult 40 & Over League Sectionals got off to a thrilling start over the weekend of May 16-18, as teams in the 3.5 and 4.5 divisions battled for a coveted spot at the USTA National Championships. Matches were played at sites across Southern California, showcasing top-tier tennis and tightly contested matchups.

Each team match consisted of four lines, with one line of singles and three of doubles. In the event of a 2-2 tie, winners were decided by tiebreak procedures in the following order: fewest sets lost, fewest games lost, highest game-winning percentage, and, if necessary, the result of the No. 1 doubles line.

In the Men’s 3.5 and Women’s 4.5 divisions, teams were split into three flights of four, with each flight winner and the top second-place team advancing to the semifinals. The Women’s 3.5 draw followed an unflighted round-robin format, with the top four teams overall moving on to the semis. The Men’s 4.5 bracket featured two flights of four, with each flight winner advancing straight to the final.

With every point crucial, teams left it all on the court in pursuit of a sectional title and a berth at Nationals. The 40 & Over 3.5 National Championships are set for October 24-26 in Surprise, Arizona, while the 4.5 division will compete the same weekend in San Diego, split between Peninsula Tennis Club and Barnes Tennis Center.

3.5 MEN – San Gabriel Valley’s “UnderDogs Aces,” led by Joseph Luzzi and Chinna Ponnaganti, emerged victorious in the Men’s 3.5 division. After advancing from their flight with a 2-1 record, earning key wins over Inland Empire and San Diego North County, they carried that momentum into the semifinals, defeating San Diego in commanding fashion. In a tightly contested final, they edged out Orange County to secure the championship. The “UnderDogs Aces’” depth and reliability across all three lines proved to be the deciding factor in their title run, which marked a section-leading fifth championship for San Gabriel Valley this season. Orange County, captained by Elyzabeth Pham, had gone 3-0 in flighted play and had not dropped a match prior to the final.

3.5 WOMEN – Picking up both their first Sectionals title of the weekend and the 2025 season, Orange County prevailed in the Women’s 3.5 division. Captained by Amy Hicks, the team from Racquet Club of Irvine excelled in unflighted round-robin play, finishing 3-0 and leading all teams with 10 individual match wins against just two losses. Along the way, they secured victories over teams from Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, and Inland Empire. Entering the playoffs as the top seed, OC swept San Diego in the semifinals, winning on every line. In the championship match, they continued their undefeated run with a strong win over San Diego North County. SDNC, captained by Jennifer Hackett, also posted a perfect 3-0 record in qualifying and earned a fourth win in the semifinals against Los Angeles before falling short in the final.

4.5 MEN – Joining Orange County in capturing their first Sectionals championship of the season, Los Angeles took home the title in the Men’s 4.5 division. Emerging as the top team in their flight following play, Victor Burga’s “Hitmen” went 2-1 with wins over teams from Coachella Valley and Orange County.  In the championship match, they faced San Diego, the undefeated winner of the opposite flight, and sealed the title with a hard-fought, narrow victory. The San Diego squad, captained by Joe Udall and Sirius Yoo, had cruised through pool play without a loss before falling just short in the final.

4.5 WOMEN – Wrapping up the first weekend of competition, San Diego captured the Women’s 4.5 division title, marking the area’s second Sectionals championship of the season. Led by Richette Lock, the squad from Barnes Tennis Center posted an undefeated 5-0 record throughout the event. In flighted play, San Diego notched wins over teams from Orange County, Los Angeles, and Coachella Valley. They then faced a formidable semifinal opponent in fellow unbeaten Ventura County, emerging with a victory to set up a championship clash with another undefeated team from Los Angeles. In the final, San Diego sealed the title with a decisive win to complete their dominant run. The finalists, Mandi Collier’s “Slay All Day” out of Los Angeles, were equally impressive throughout the weekend, going 3-0 in flighted play and becoming the only team in the division to sweep all 12 individual matches prior to the final.

SPIRIT AWARD WINNER – The women’s 3.5 Orange County Racquet Club of Irvine team received the second Spirit Award of the 2025 season, recognized for best capturing the Southern California spirit during the event. Led by captain Amy Hicks, the team was chosen as the winner through a contest hosted on USTA SoCal’s social media platforms, with followers across various channels casting their votes.

Weekend #2: May 30-June 1 

As the second weekend of play got underway, competition intensified across the 3.0 and 4.0 divisions, along with the Capstone Women’s division. Each team match once again featured four lines, with the same tiebreak procedure in place. The 3.0 Men and Capstone Women competed in a single round-robin format. Meanwhile, the 3.0 and 4.0 Women were divided into four flights of four teams each, with the winner of each flight advancing to the semifinals. In the 4.0 Men’s division, three flights of four teams determined the semifinalists, with the three flight winners and the top-performing second-place team moving on to the playoff round.

The 40 & Over 3.0 National Championships will take place October 17-19 in San Diego, with matches hosted at Peninsula Tennis Club and Barnes Tennis Center. Meanwhile, the 4.0 division will compete in Scottsdale, Arizona, at Scottsdale Ranch Park and Indian School Park.

3.0 MEN – Triumphing in the Men’s 3.0 division, San Fernando Valley picked up a Sectionals title while not dropping a match all weekend. Led by captains Lee Opp and Jason O’Leary, the “Shots All Around” swept their round-robin matches with wins over teams from Los Angeles, Beach Cities, and San Gabriel Valley, securing the area’s first Sectionals championship of the 2025 season. Finishing as runners-up, Michelle Kramer’s “Tremblors” from Los Angeles also delivered a strong performance, posting a solid 2-1 record in round-robin play.

3.0 WOMEN – Led by captain Kathleen Stephens, Beach Cities captured the Women’s 3.0 division title, their first of both the weekend and the 2025 season. The team went 3-0 in flighted play, securing the top seed with key victories over Los Angeles, Coachella Valley, and San Diego North County. In the semifinals, they delivered a convincing win over Bakersfield before edging out Los Angeles in a competitive championship match. LA’s “Canyon Coyotes,” captained by Joy Cho and Andrea Hutchman, also went undefeated in their flighted matches and earned a hard-fought semifinal victory over Orange County to advance to the final, where they ultimately finished as runners-up.

4.0 MEN – Picking up right where they left off in Weekend #1, Orange County continued their winning momentum with a strong performance in the Men’s 4.0 division. Led by captain Calvin Lam, the team went undefeated in flighted play, earning wins over San Gabriel Valley, another Orange County team, and Santa Barbara. In the semifinals, they powered past San Diego before capping off their run with a championship victory over Ventura County. The Ventura squad, captained by David Hoffman and representing Westlake Athletic Club, posted a 2-1 record in flighted play and advanced to the semifinals as the best 2nd place team across the three flights. In the semis, they had a win over Coachella Valley before falling in the final.

4.0 WOMEN – Continuing to build on their dominance over the two-weekend stretch, Orange County claimed the Women’s 4.0 division title. Led by Bonnie Lee, the team got off to a strong start, going 3-0 in flighted play with wins over Santa Barbara, San Diego, and Ventura County to secure a playoff spot. In a tightly contested semifinal, they edged out San Fernando Valley, then followed up with a hard-fought victory in the final against another Orange County team. The finalists, captained by Regina Jacobs out of Laguna Niguel Racquet Club, were equally impressive, also posting a perfect 3-0 record in flighted play before defeating San Fernando Valley in the semifinals to reach the championship match.

CAPSTONE WOMEN – San Diego claimed the Women’s Capstone championship with a dominant showing throughout round-robin play. Led by Carlota P. LeFon, the team went undefeated at 4-0, earning wins over squads from Los Angeles, two Orange County teams, and a fellow San Diego bunch. With this victory, San Diego moves into a tie with Orange County for second place on the Sectionals Championships leaderboard, each holding three titles. They now trail San Gabriel Valley, which leads all areas in the section with five championships in the 2025 season. The finalists, also representing San Diego, were captained by Claudia Roehr and Priscilla Martinez and finished with an impressive 3-1 record.

SPIRIT AWARD WINNER – San Diego North County’s “Debeez Swarm” was honored with the third Spirit Award of the 2025 season, for best embodying the essence of Southern California spirit over the weekend. Under the leadership of captain Debbie Fitzgerald, the team earned the title through a fan-voting contest held across USTA SoCal’s social media platforms, where supporters from all channels cast their votes to crown the winner.