Closing out the month of January, Adult Doubles League Sectionals was held in the desert over two consecutive weekends. Players spanning from all 13 areas in the section traveled to Palm Desert to compete, battling it out at the Omni Rancho Las Palmas Country Club, Mission Hills Country Club and College of the Desert.

The first weekend, held from January 24-26, featured gender-based doubles at the 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5 levels, while the following weekend showcased gender-based doubles at the 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0 levels. The tournament included a mix of round robin, flighted, and unflighted matches across the different divisions.

WEEKEND #1 – JANUARY 24-26

2.5 / 3.5 / 4.5

Women’s 2.5 – Capturing the championship in the Women’s 2.5 division, Los Angeles prevailed over the competition. Led by Melinda Martinez and Jose Diaz, the “Ladybugs” escaped the round robin as the overall champions. In play, the “Ladybugs” first defeated another Los Angeles squad 2-1, before dropping their next match to San Diego 1-2. They rounded out their weekend by sweeping a Los Angeles team 3-0, finishing with a 2-1 record. Tied with the LA “Fuzz Off” (who also finished 2-1), the “Ladybugs” held the tiebreaker thanks to their earlier win, claiming the title. The runner-ups, the “Fuzz Off,” were captained by Dylan Nogay.

Women’s 3.5 – Securing an undefeated weekend for themselves, Bakersfield picked up the area’s first Sectionals title of the new year. Led by Linette Holliday, “Team Holliday” was dominant throughout the tournament, finishing 3-0 in the qualifying rounds with victories over Central Coast, Orange County, and Inland Empire. One of only three teams yet to have lost a match to that point, Bakersfield entered the playoffs as the No. 2 seed. Here, they got the better of an undefeated OC team 2-1 in the first round before besting San Fernando Valley’s “Volley Girls” in the finals with a 3-0 win. The finalists, Jo Ann Thrailkill and Helen McCusker’s SFV team, finished with a 3-2 record.

Men’s 3.5 – Triumphing in the Men’s 3.5 division, Inland Empire snagged a Sectionals title while not dropping a match all weekend. Captained by Phi Ngo and Kevin Dang, the “Elevenis” swept their pool play, defeating teams from Orange County, Los Angeles, and Santa Barbara. As the No. 2 seed, Inland Empire continued their winning streak by first defeating San Diego North County 2-1 in the semifinals, then overcame Ventura County 3-0 in the finals. Finishing the weekend as finalists, Curtis Cutting and Todd Isroelit’s team from Ventura County were impressive themselves, not having faced defeat prior to the finals match.

Women’s 4.5 – Taking home their area’s first Sectionals championship this year, Orange County claimed the title in the Women’s 4.5 division. Under the leadership of captain Kristina Ebon, OC was perfect in the qualifying rounds, going 3-0 as they defeated teams from San Gabriel Valley, San Fernando Valley and San Diego. Advancing to the playoffs as the No. 2 seed, Ebon’s squad first took down another San Diego team by a final of 2-1. Matched up with San Diego North County in the finals, OC would once again come out on top, winning the match 3-0. The finalists, Brianna Sullivan’s “Jingle Ballers,” finished with a 4-1 record, with their only loss coming in the championship match.

Men’s 4.5 – Becoming the fifth unique area to have won a Sectionals title over the weekend, Beach Cities took home the gold in the Men’s 4.5 division. Captain Tony Hsu led his team to a 2-1 record in pool play, securing wins over San Gabriel Valley and Ventura County, but falling to Inland Empire. Entering the playoffs as the No. 2 seed, Beach Cities defeated Los Angeles 2-1 in the semifinals, before beating an undefeated San Diego North County team 3-0 in the finals. Bernie Buggs’ San Diego squad, who also finished with a 4-1 record, earned recognition as finalists.

Spirit Award Winner – San Gabriel Valley’s “Chow Fun,” was awarded the first Spirit Award of 2025, recognized for displaying the most Southern California spirit during the event. The team led by Captain Josie Chow, was chosen as the winner in a contest held on USTA SoCal’s social media platforms, with followers across various channels voting for them.

WEEKEND #2 – JANUARY 31 – FEBRUARY 2

3.0 / 4.0 / 5.0

Women’s 3.0 – Winning its second Sectionals title in as many weeks, Orange County came out on top in the Women’s 3.0 division. First placed into a flight with teams from San Diego, San Diego North County and Ventura County, Kristie Carsten-Hensley and Teresa Zack’s team went undefeated, solidifying their spot in the playoffs. As the top seed, OC defeated San Fernando Valley 2-1 in the semifinals before triumphing over another Orange County team 3-0 in the finals. The finalists, Kristina Hellinga and Pam Schuler’s team, finished with a 3-1 record. 

Men’s 3.0 – With a championship victory in the Men’s 3.0 division, Los Angeles took home its first Sectionals title of the weekend, and second over the two-week span. Under leadership of captains Anthony Canapi and Charlotte Gray, “Queen Anne” had themselves a fantastic weekend of tennis, winning all of their matches within the round robin. Here, LA bested teams from Beach Cities, San Gabriel Valley and San Diego, all by scores of 2-1. As the only undefeated team, LA claimed the title with a perfect record. Beach Cities, led by Ian Forsyth and Dale Hughes, finished as finalists with a 2-1 record. 

Women’s 4.0 – Clinching the area’s first Sectionals championship over the two weekends, San Diego took home the hardware with a victory in the Women’s 4.0 division. Grace Ogihara’s “Penn Pros” went undefeated in the qualifying rounds, defeating teams from Beach Cities, Santa Barbara, and Central Coast. As the No. 4 seed, they took down a fellow undefeated team from San Diego 3-0 in the semifinals before claiming a 2-1 victory over San Fernando Valley in the finals. The “Volley Girls” from San Fernando Valley, led by McCusker and Thrailkill, finished as finalists with a 4-1 record.

Men’s 4.0 – San Fernando Valley’s “Northridge Quakes,” led by Alan Esguerra and Steve Oetomo, triumphed in the Men’s 4.0 division. After going 2-1 in pool play, besting San Diego and Ventura County while losing to San Gabriel Valley, they advanced to the playoffs as the No. 3 seed. They would go on to beat Coachella Valley 2-1 in the semifinals before clinching the title with a 2-1 win over Orange County’s “Diamond Heads” in the finals. OC, led by Luis Prieto, finished as finalists with a 4-1 record. 

Women’s 5.0 – Becoming the only area to have won multiple Sectionals championships in the same event over these two weeks, San Diego once again would emerge successful, this time in the Women’s 5.0 division. With captains Hannah Holladay and Lauren Perl Lancaster at the helm, SD went undefeated in their round robin. Here, they got the better of two teams from Los Angeles and one from Orange County, placing them among the top of the standings and earning them the title. Lauren DiFazio’s “Sets and the City” from Los Angeles finished as runners-up with a 2-1 record.

Men’s 5.0 – In the Men’s 5.0 division, Beach Cities clinched the championship, earning their second Sectionals title over the two weekends of play. Led by Charlie Franks and Tyler Tulenko, “Alta Vista” impressed throughout the round robin, taking down two teams from San Diego and one from Los Angeles. With a perfect 3-0 record, they claimed the title. San Diego, led by Charles Hough, finished as finalists with a 2-1 record.

Spirit Award Winner – With a dazzling display of Southern California spirit, the women of Brenda Henriquez’ Mountain View team were recognized as the second Spirit Award winners of 2025. The group from San Diego were selected as the victor through polls on USTA SoCal’s social media channels.