2025 Junior Team Tennis Spring Section
Championships Weekend Recap

The spirit of team tennis was on full display earlier this month as the 2025 USTA Southern California Junior Team Tennis (JTT) Spring Section Championships brought together more than 800 young athletes and 88 talented teams from all over the region for a fierce competition and unforgettable moments in Orange County.

From May 3-4, players representing clubs and programs from across Southern California faced off at five locations, Cal State Fullerton, Marina High School, El Dorado Park, Fountain Valley High School, and Irvine Valley College, all with one goal in mind: to bring home the championship title.

Despite a drizzling start on Saturday morning that forced schedule and format adjustments throughout both days, the energy never dipped. Players embraced the challenge with resilience, teamwork, and determination, embodying the spirit of JTT. The drive to be crowned JTT champions proved to be enough motivation to battle the elements, rain or shine, and come out on top. Below is a look at how the action unfolded across all 11 divisions.

10U Orange Ball

Ten teams were divided up into two pools of five, with the winners advancing to the finals. The format was fast paced: no-ad sets to six, a tiebreaker at 5-5, and no time to warm up slowly—players had to be ready to play right out of the gates. There was an equal distribution of teams representing all of SoCal, as far south as San Marcos and all the way east to Fontana. Ultimately in the final, the Orange Gladiators from Laguna Niguel, coached by Vitali Vasileuski, took on Glendale Tennis Academy (GTA), representing the San Fernando Valley and led by Coach Armen Mendelayn, on the permanent Orange Ball lines of Fountain Valley High School. The teams split the matches, with GTA winning #1 singles and #1 doubles, while the Orange Gladiators took #2 singles and doubles. With total games determining the winner—to encourage fighting for every point—, GTA ended up squeezing out the victory with a 19-16 game win. Akopyan and GTA, competing in their second JTT season, improving their JTT Fall Sectional Championships finish of third place, showing marked progress.

10U Green Dot 

At Marina High School, ten Green Dot teams competed in the advanced 10U division. Green Dot is designed as a development stage. Although the division is considered the “advanced” level for players under 10 years old, this tournament is still intended to be a great learning ground to harness the players’ skills on the court, get familiar with what it’s like to play in a tournament and practice good sportsmanship.

San Diego’s Scripps Ranch Falcons proved to be too tough in Pool A, sweeping all four of their matches. In Pool B, the San Gabriel Valley BBQ Ninjas (great name!), coached by Armen Mendelayn, actually went undefeated as well, but Ventura’s Sunset Hills team, coached by Mari Le, advanced by a single game, 84-83, earning the right to play for the title. In the final, the Falcons, led by Coach Greg Weksel, swept both singles and doubles matches to cap off a dominant weekend. Kudos to Sunset Hills for making a strong return to JTT with their first showing in four seasons!

12U Novice (L7)

With a total of eight teams in group play, each pool in the 12U Novice division included four teams which allows for three matches to determine who goes on to the final Sunday afternoon. All matches took place at El Dorado Park, which for whatever reason, had nearly zero rain over this May gray weekend. Chris Chutikorn’s Cerritos-based Water Dragons turned out to be too tough in Pool A, sweeping their matches to secure a place in the finals. It was a similar result in Pool B, with Glendale Tennis Academy winning all three matches to advance. In the finals, these young up-and-coming, soon-to-be junior tournament players, fought hard, but in the end GTA pulled out a 3-1 match victory, winning 21 games to Cerritos’ 12, highlighted by strong play in two singles and two doubles. Most importantly, the kids had fun and showed exceptional sportsmanship on court.

12U Intermediate (L6) 

In the 12U Intermediate division, Santa Barbara’s Dream Team was the first JTT squad to represent the Central Coast in over two years! Led by Jonny Sapp, the team made the most of their opportunity after just missing the cut in the Fall to get into Sectionals. They won their group play in impressive fashion, out dueling the likes of JTT staples like Vitali’s Gladiators and Joseph Lizardo’s team from Jack Kramer Club. In the other pool, Anthony Lin’s Super Ninjas from the San Gabriel Valley (another great name!) went undefeated with a 3-0 match victory, over solid teams like MountainGate, Team G, and Chris Chutikorn’s Chameleons. In the championship round, it was an absolute nail biter, with the teams splitting matches: two singles victories for the Ninjas and two doubles wins for the Dream Team. It came down to the total game tally, where ultimately the Super Ninjas won by three games, 18-15, in a match decided by just a few crucial no-ad points.

12U Advanced (L5)

The Advanced 12U division, who competed at Marina High School, was only composed of four teams, with the winning team being determined how they fared in the three round robin matches in a single pool. The Elite Aces from Torrance led by coach and USTA Official, Larry Kiok, were victors in the end after two days of match play. They beat out the Camarillo Aces, led by Coach Zibu Ncube, by the slimmest of margins, 60 games to 59! A heartbreaker for the runner-ups, but again, we like to encourage players to fight for every game in JTT because that may end up being the difference in the end.

14U Novice (L7)

The 14U age group is the most popular JTT demographic, and thus the most competitive. In Orange County alone, there 20 teams in the Novice division, and 56 teams in total competing in league play. At Sectionals, there are only the eight section winners who get an invite to compete for the crown. These 14U L7 players had to battle the elements for sure, showing up to wet courts for 7AM warm ups on Saturday at Cal State Fullerton. After similar lousy weather on Sunday, they had to bounce over to El Dorado on Sunday afternoon to play the finals. The Jack Kramer Club (JKC), long known for a tradition of amazing members including Lindsay Davenport, Pete Sampras, now Iva Jovic, brought a talented team to the finals led by head coach Joseph Lizardo. On the other side of the net were the Split Steppers, coached by Gabriel Jacob, from Highland in the Inland Empire. Every match was competitive, with one doubles being decided by a tiebreaker, but in the end, JKC claimed all four lines, winning 24 games to 16 in a competitive battle.

14U Intermediate (L6)

With 62 total teams vying to be in the Spring Championships, there were a total of 10 spots available in the draw, thus featuring two pools of five round robin format. Teams were lucky to not have to move locations and able to finish where they started at Marina High School despite some annoying heavy mist rain delays over both days. In group play, the cream definitely rose to the top on both pools. Mika’s Tennis Academy in the San Fernando Valley is in their second season of JTT play and they really seemed to be getting the hang of this two singles and two doubles format. Led by Mika Sakvarelidze, they swept their matches in Pool A and punched their ticket to the finals. In the other pool, the Sharks of Manhattan Beach Country Club (MCC), led by Coach Allen Yap, put up an equally impressive run in group play. Winning a total of 14 sets while only dropping 2, they advanced to the Finals. The match turned out to be a true contest of wills, with each team winning one singles and one doubles match. In the end, a dominant 8-1 win by MCC’s #2 singles player clinched the title, giving the Sharks a 27-24 edge, a 52.94% winning percentage vs 47.06%.

14U Advanced (L5)

Eight teams competed in round robin matches at Cal State Fullerton, to perhaps provide a taste of what it’s like to play Division 1 tennis in a few years. Racquet Club of Irvine (RCI) was well represented in the division with two teams. Coach Guilianno Coria was nice enough to put together a last minute “B” team since there was an unfortunate situation that led to a team pulling last second. Fontan’s Dragons won Pool A, dropping just one set, 11-1.While Coach Joseph Lizardo’s squad from JKC swept Pool B, claiming all 12 sets. In the finals, Coach Kelvin Tay’s Fontana Dragons once again triumphed by winning all four lines and finishing with an impressive 32-11 game advantage, which will certainly make the team feel good about themselves over the summer break.

18U Novice (L7)

The 18U division in the Spring is composed of girls only players since local CIF rules prevent high school players from playing in a competing organization during season play. The Novice 18U players had to overcome rain at Fountain Valley High School and all coaches certainly got their fair share of squeegeeing and toweling off courts. Coach Gerald Matthews out of the San Fernando Valley consistently puts together numerous teams out of his academy, Team G Tennis. This 18U L7 team seemed to be particularly special, beating out San Gabriel, South Bay, and Orange County teams to advance. Coach Montez Noa out of Carson led a group of young ladies deemed TNT to the finals despite only winning one match and tying in the other two. They had six more games than the second place team in their pool, so on to the finals. Team G showed their dominance, taking all four lines and winning an impressive 80% of games played. Coach Matthews certainly gave a motivating speech before hitting the courts for this one.

18U Intermediate (L6)

The Intermediate 18U division saw an amazing 58 total teams signed up in league division play. The high school coaches in SoCal are certainly seeing the value of having their young athletes compete in the off-season to be ready for Fall high school matches. Steve Riggs, Orange County JTT Area League Coordinator, decided to get both his daughters in on the JTT fun, with Julianne and Catherine, playing for Coria’s RCI team. This division started out at Irvine Valley College on Saturday, but after getting rained out that evening, they continued on with their matches at both Cal State Fullerton and El Dorado Park. The Warriors of RCI persisted, advancing with a 3-1 record and 182 total games (vs second place’s 126 games). On the other side, the Guzman Champs out of Temecula were looking to repeat as Coach Alison Guzman’s fall boys team won the same division last fall at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, home of the BNP Paribas Open. Guzman did in fact make it to the finals again, by also winning three out of four of their matches in group play. The finals took place under the lights at El Dorado on Sunday evening and it turned out to be one of the better dual matches on the weekend. The singles players for Guzman were dominant, claiming both lines, but the Riggs twins kept it tight with a 0-1 win at #1 doubles. It came down to two doubles, where the Guzman duo came back from a set down to win the decisive third set match tiebreaker. In the end, the Champs did live up to their name and gave Coach Guzman a 33-29 victory to go along with her boys’ win in late 2024.

18U Advanced (L5)

The Advanced division was unfortunately hit with some last minute pull outs with AP testing taking place on the following Monday, prom dances taking place on Saturday, and preparation for the all-important SATs left only three teams to compete for the championship. Chris Chutikorn’s Double Dragons, with experienced players like Aarna Patel, Valerie Machikawa, Nicole Handjono, and Jolie Vo, turned out to be too good for the Energy Girls from Corona. Despite the Energy Girls winning #2 doubles, the Double Dragons won three out of four lines and 44 total games to Energy Girls’ 19. The match was high level and it was easy to see that these players were the most advanced, tournament ready and experienced of the 88 total teams that hit the courts this championship weekend.

Sportsmanship Awards

At the 2025 JTT Spring Championships, sportsmanship was on full display as several young athletes were honored for their integrity, respect, and positive attitude on and off the court. Eli Phan of the Orange Gladiators (10U Orange Ball) and Armen Akhnazaryan of GTA 1, along with Adeline Cheung of the Dragonflies, both representing the 10U Green Dot division, set the tone for their age group with their commendable behavior. In the 12U Intermediate division, Jonah Ahdoot of MountainGate and Kayden Li of the Super Ninjas earned recognition for their grace in competition. The 14U Intermediate division saw Evan Long of Slap City and Daniel Rodriguez-Bader of the LJBTC Waves exemplify the spirit of good sportsmanship. Rounding out the group, Catherine Riggs of the Warriors (18U Intermediate) impressed with her leadership and respect throughout the event. Each awardee represented the values of JTT with pride, showing that character is just as important as performance.

The JTT Experience

Overall, it was a fun and competitive tournament that will prove to be instrumental in the careers of these young players looking to grow into more advanced tournament play. Parents and coaches equally went through what it is like to play in a competitive match play event, with the perils of rain delays, the thrill of eeking out a match tie break to move on and the overall excitement of being part of a team with a common goal.

Matches were held across Advanced (L5), Intermediate (L6), and Novice (L7) divisions in the 12U, 14U, and 18U age divisions. 10U teams also competed over the weekend at the Orange Ball and Green Dot levels. Each team competed in a format featuring two singles and two doubles matches, with total games won serving as the deciding factor in many divisions.

Unlike traditional tennis at the junior level that features more individualized play, JTT brings together junior players for level-based team matches. Teams compete weekly in leagues throughout Southern California at local parks, public and private clubs, and community organizations, all aiming to advance to Sectionals by the end of their season. Six eligible players compete during each match, with two lines of play featuring singles and two lines featuring doubles. Match outcomes are determined by record in precedence of total games won.

JTT provides an environment where children can learn the value of teamwork and collaboration on the court. Through working together toward shared goals in both practices and league matches, players develop crucial communication and interpersonal skills. By supporting and depending on each other, they not only build stronger connections, but also learn important lessons in cooperation and mutual respect. The atmosphere of team tennis allows children to face challenges, resolve conflicts, and celebrate their achievements as a team.

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Photos from the event this past weekend are available on the USTA Southern California website!

Interested in playing Junior Team Tennis? Registrations are now open for the first Annual JTT Summer Flex League, a fun and flexible way for young players to compete this season. With five divisions (12U Novice, 12U Intermediate, 14U Novice, 14U Intermediate, and 18U Intermediate), teams have the chance to qualify for the Summer Sectional Championships on August 2. Players will compete in 2-5 matches between June 1 and July 27, with a $30 entry fee that covers Sectionals participation, summer swag, giveaways, and trophies for winners and finalists. Each team must have at least four players and be led by a SafePlay-approved coach or parent, competing in dual matches featuring both singles and doubles play. It’s a great way to stay active, sharpen skills, and embrace team competition all summer long. What are you waiting for? Register now!

Looking for a team to join? Find a program in your area HERE.

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Lexie Wanninger contributed to this article.