Four Areas Capture Titles, Orange County Reigns
Supreme at Adult 65 & Over League Sectionals

After a rain-filled week in Southern California delayed the start of Adult 65 & Over Sectionals play originally scheduled for November 14–16, the event was rescheduled and completed this past weekend, November 22–23. SoCal’s best traveled to the Inland Empire to vie for Sectional titles, with the Claremont Club serving as host.

Division formats varied slightly across the weekend, with the Women’s 6.0, Men’s 8.0 and Women’s 8.0 divisions following a single round robin, where the top two teams advanced to the final. The Men’s 7.0 and Women’s 7.0 divisions, meanwhile, each played four unflighted matches per team, with the two squads with the best records moving on to their championship matches. In the Women’s 9.0 division, each team faced every opponent twice. 

Champions from each division secured a coveted berth to compete at the USTA National Championships, which are set to take place early next year at the Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex in Surprise, Arizona. The 7.0 division winners will compete January 23-25, 2026, followed by the 6.0 and 9.0 divisions from January 30-February 1, and the 8.0 division from February 13-15, 2026.

6.0 Women

Kicking off the weekend, San Diego captured the championship in the Women’s 6.0 division. Captains Donna Fitzsimmons and Ruth Hoffman led their squad from Peninsula Tennis Club to a strong showing, finishing 1-1 in round robin play with a win over Coachella Valley and a loss to Los Angeles. With the top two teams advancing, SD earned a rematch with unbeaten LA in the final, and this time left no doubt, sweeping the match 3-0 to claim the title. Los Angeles’ finalists, “The Volley Vamps,” captained by Millie Christie and Laura Branigan out of Cheviot Hills Tennis Center, finished the weekend with a 2-1 overall record.

7.0 Women

Not dropping a match all weekend, Beach Cities captured the Women’s 7.0 title with a dominant performance. Linda Layton’s “Alta Vista” squad from the Alta Vista Racquet Center was one of just two teams to finish unflighted play unbeaten, earning wins over Coachella Valley, Ventura County, Inland Empire and San Diego. Entering the final with a perfect record, BC faced fellow undefeated Orange County and pulled out a close 2-1 victory to secure the championship. Orange County, led by Sharon Diekneit and representing David Sills Lower Peters Canyon Park, finished the weekend 4-1 overall after sweeping their unflighted matches against Ventura County, San Gabriel Valley, San Diego, and Coachella Valley.

7.0 Men

In the Men’s 7.0 division, Orange County emerged as champions behind a strong showing from their team out of Seal Beach Tennis Center. Led by captains Maurice Kogon and Mark Gross, OC rebounded after an opening loss to Ventura County by rolling through their next three matches, defeating Coachella Valley, Los Angeles and Inland Empire to finish 3-1 and secure the top seed heading into the final. The championship match delivered a rematch with Ventura County, and OC made the most of the second opportunity, earning a hard-fought 2-1 victory to claim the title. Ventura County, captained by Aldo Argana and representing Rancho Madera Park, also posted a 3-1 record in round robin play, adding wins over San Diego North County and Coachella Valley to their earlier triumph over OC, with their lone loss coming against Inland Empire.

8.0 Women

With an impressive showing in the Women’s 8.0 division, Orange County added another championship to the area’s weekend tally. Randi Reznik’s team from The Tennis Club at Monarch Beach posted a 3-1 record in round robin play, earning wins over Coachella Valley, San Diego North County and San Diego, with their only setback coming against Beach Cities. Advancing to the final, they earned a rematch with unbeaten Beach Cities and turned the tide, pulling out a 2-1 victory to secure the championship. Beach Cities, captained by Kathy Zepeda Emerzian and representing the Seal Beach Tennis Center, entered the final without having dropped a match.

8.0 Men

Securing the first title of the weekend for San Fernando Valley, Aldo Argana’s squad, “The 300’s 65,” claimed the Men’s 8.0 championship with a commanding performance. Competing out of the Calabasas Tennis and Swim Center, SFV finished round robin play at 3-1, sweeping both San Diego North County teams and Central Coast while dropping only a single match to Orange County. Their strong showing earned them the top seed and a rematch with Central Coast in the final, where they once again prevailed decisively with a 3-0 sweep to clinch the title. Central Coast’s finalists, “The SLOverheads,” led by Howard Nicholson and Scott Cleere and playing out of Sinsheimer Park, also posted a 3-1 record in round robin competition, recording wins over Orange County and both San Diego North County squads to advance to the championship match.

9.0 Women

Rounding out the weekend and securing a third championship for teams from the area, Orange County captured the Women’s 9.0 title with an undefeated performance. Led by Vicky Blanco and representing the Seal Beach Tennis Center, the team finished atop the round robin standings, earning victories over San Diego, one by sweep and the other by a 2-1 scoreline, to claim the championship. The San Diego squad, led by Sue Sprague from Peninsula Tennis Club, earned finalist honors.

Spirit Award Winner

Ventura County’s “Senioritas” captured the Spirit Award, celebrated for best showcasing SoCal pride throughout the weekend. Decked out in the event’s most creative SoCal-themed costumes, the squad led by captain Arlene Braun secured the honor after supporters across multiple social media platforms rallied behind them, voting the “Senioritas” as the event’s most spirited team.

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Look at the full results from the weekend:

> 6.0 WOMEN
> 7.0 WOMEN
> 7.0 MEN
> 8.0 WOMEN
> 8.0 MEN
> 9.0 WOMEN

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