As the regular college tennis season reaches its climax, the excitement escalates among teams and players preparing for the pinnacle of competition: the Conference Championships. Across Division I, II, and III colleges, athletes are vying for the opportunity to advance to the highly sought-after NCAA Championships.

This week marks the commencement of Conference championships, including the esteemed Big West Championships, the prestigious Pac-12 Tennis Championships, the thrilling California Community College Championships, and the anticipated West Coast Conference (WCC) Championships. These events will unfold across Southern California, offering tennis enthusiasts an exhilarating showcase of talent. Join in and show your support for #TeamSoCal!

Big West Championships

On Wednesday, April 24, the pursuit of a conference championship and a coveted ticket to the NCAA Tournament commences for the teams vying in the Big West Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships. Returning to the prestigious Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego, the championship unfolds from April 24 to April 28. The victor of each tournament secures an automatic berth into the esteemed 2024 NCAA Division I Championship.

All nine eligible Big West women’s teams, including Cal Poly, Cal State Fullerton, CSUN, Hawai’i, Long Beach State, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, and UC Santa Barbara, will vie for the championship starting Wednesday. 

In the nine-team bracket, the showdown begins on Thursday as the No. 8 seed UC Irvine faces off against the No. 9 seed UC Riverside, both vying for a coveted spot in the quarterfinals. There, the formidable top-seeded UC Santa Barbara Gauchos await their challenger. Should the Gauchos secure their place in the semifinals, they’ll encounter the victor between the No. 4 seed Long Beach State and the No. 5 seed Cal Poly. With Long Beach boasting a commendable 12-7 overall record and a solid 6-3 conference standing, and Cal Poly entering the fray with a 10-8-1 tally, the competition promises to be fierce. Cal Poly’s path to the championships took an unexpected turn when a protest altered their regular-season finale against No. 53 UC Santa Barbara from a Sunday defeat to a 3-3 tie, granting them a 5-3-1 Big West record and the No. 5 seed. Looking ahead to the Championship Match, the Gauchos could potentially face off against any of the remaining contenders: the No. 2 seed CSUN, the No. 3 seed Hawai’i, the No. 6 seed Cal State Fullerton, or the No. 7 seed UC Davis.

In 2023, top-seeded Hawai’i defeated No. 2 seed Cal Poly 4-2 to clinch the title, marking their second conference championship and first since 2018.

Meanwhile, six Big West men’s teams—Cal Poly, Hawai’i, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, and UC Santa Barbara—are in contention. The quarterfinals on Friday will see No. 4 seed UC Davis against No. 5 seed Hawai’i and No. 3 seed Cal Poly versus No. 6 seed UC Riverside. The six-team bracket grants byes to the No. 1 seed UC Santa Barbara and No. 2 seed UC Irvine, who advance to the semifinals.

“Being the no. 1 seed is a testament to the hard work we have put in starting last fall,” explained UCSB senior Diego Castillo from La Quinta. “We’re heading to San Diego pumped, ready to not only defend our title but also to uphold UCSB’s history of success in the Big West and aim for a run in the NCAA tournament.”

In 2023, top-seeded UC Santa Barbara swept UC Irvine 4-0 to claim the title, marking their 15th Big West championship.

Interactive brackets are available for both the women’s championships and the men’s championships. For fans unable to attend at Barnes Tennis Center, all matches on courts 7-10 and 16-18 will be live-streamed via web.track.tennis. Live stats for all matches will also be available.

Pac-12 Tennis Championships

The Pac-12 Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships return to Ojai, California this week, from Wednesday, April 24 through Saturday, April 27, deciding Pac-12 team champions and automatic qualifiers to the NCAA Tournament. All four days of the Men’s Championship will take place at Libbey Park, while the women’s first three days are at Weil Tennis Academy, with the finals at Libbey Park.

No. 20 Stanford (15-5) and No. 10 Arizona (21-3) shared the 2024 Pac-12 men’s championship, both ending with a 7-1 conference record. Stanford claimed the top seed in the Pac-12 Tournament with a 4-3 victory over Arizona on March 30. No. 23 UCLA Bruins (14-6, 5-2) enters the tournament with a seven-game winning streak, earning the third seed. No. 22 Arizona State (15-8) secured the fourth seed with a 4-2 conference record.

“Being the No. 1 seed definitely makes things very exciting. Winning the regular season and being the top seed definitely puts a target on our backs, but that’s what we want when we come here. Obviously, being my first and last Pac-12 Championship is super fun and I hope we can make a deep run in not just this but also the NCAA tournament. I think all of the guys are fired up to be competing this year, as everyone is performing at a very high level. We all know we can achieve great things this season, and we want to show everyone what we can do. I’m super eager to get this tournament started and play against the best,” explained Rancho Santa Fe’s Hudson Rivera (Stanford). “I think my first season has gone well. I’ve learned a lot, had some good wins and some grueling losses but overall, I think I’ve become a better tennis player and adapted to the way college tennis works. It’s a much different game and I think I’m only going to be better with the experience I’ve gained throughout the season.”

The No. 10 Bruins (17-4) clinched the top spot in the women’s bracket by capturing the league title last week. They secured a commanding 9-1 record in conference play, notably defeating cross-town rival No. 11 USC 4-2. No. 3 Stanford (19-2, 8-1) sealed the second seed after a victorious season finale against No. 9 Cal (16-5, 8-2). USC and Cal finished with identical 8-2 league records, but USC’s 4-3 win over Cal on March 31 granted them the No. 3 seed. Consequently, Cal took the No. 4 seed. No. 31 Arizona State (14-8, 6-4) and No. 26 Washington (16-9, 5-5) rounded out the top six seeds, with the Sun Devils carrying a five-game winning streak into the week.

Entering the 2024 Championship, USC is the three-time defending Pac-12 Tournament champion. The Trojans and Bruins have won every league tourney since the current format was instituted in 2012. The Bruins have won four tournament titles, earning their last crown in 2018. Stanford has won five of the six tournament titles since 2017, including the last two. Cal picked up the title in 2021 after the tournament was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19. 

Seven men’s Pac-12 programs earned placement on the most recent ITA Top-75 national rankings — No. 11 Arizona, No. 20 Stanford, No. 22 UCLA, No. 23 Arizona State, No. 53 USC, No. 58 California, and No. 61 Oregon—, with several notable players listed.

Nine Pac-12 programs checked on the most recent ITA Top-75 national rankings, including No. 3 Stanford, No. 8 UCLA, No. 10 California, No. 11 USC, No. 26 Washington, No. 27 Arizona State, No. 41 Arizona, No. 53 Utah, and No. 64 Oregon.

Twenty singles players are nationally-ranked on the women’s side, led by No. 9 Connie Ma (Stanford), No. 25 Kimmi Hance (UCLA), and T-30 Alexandra Yepifanova (Stanford) and Emma Charney (USC). No. 14 Fangran Tian and Elise Wagle top the list of 14 nationally-ranked doubles pairs in the Pac-12.

“I’ve been playing in this tournament [the Ojai] for as long as I can remember and it’s always my favorite time of the year!” exclaimed Torrance’s Kimmi Hance (UCLA). “I’m so excited to be headed to Ojai being the top seed, especially because this is the last Pac-12 tournament that UCLA will be competing in. My team and I have had such a fun season and we’re hoping to finish off strong.”

Tickets for the Pac-12 Men’s & Women’s Tennis Championships can be purchased through The Ojai at TheOjai.net or on-site at Libbey Park or Weil Tennis Academy. 

Coverage of the first rounds, quarterfinals, and semifinals will be available via individual court live streams for authenticated subscribers to Pac-12 Networks. Saturday’s championship matches will be broadcast on Pac-12 Network, featuring commentary from Gill Gross and Corina Morariu. Additional updates can be found on Pac-12.com.

California Community College Championships

On a thrilling Saturday showdown at the Ventura College Tennis Center, the Ventura College men’s tennis team secured a hard-earned 5-3 victory against Glendale, propelling them to the state championship. This triumph not only clinches the regional title for Ventura but also marks their long-awaited return to the state championship match, a feat they haven’t achieved since 2013. The Pirates now set their sights on Wednesday, April 24, where they’ll vie for the program’s third state team championship against American River College of Sacramento. Meanwhile, in the women’s division, Orange Coast College will contend against American River College for the coveted team championship.

Adding to the excitement of the tennis season, The Ojai tournament will host the California Community College Men’s and Women’s Individual State Championships alongside the Pac-12 Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships. Matches are scheduled to commence across various venues in Ventura and Oxnard on April 25 and 26. On Saturday, April 27, all eyes will be on the Ojai Athletic Club for the semifinals, leading up to the grand finale at Libbey Park on Sunday, April 28.

Draws are available online at www.3c2asports.org and www.TheOjai.net. 

West Coast Conference Championships

The 2024 West Coast Conference Men’s and Women’s Tennis Tournaments are scheduled from Thursday, April 25 to Saturday, April 27 at Aztec Tennis Center on the San Diego State campus.

In the men’s tournament, co-regular season champions University of San Diego (USD) and Pepperdine University lead the pack. Ranked at No. 16 in the latest ITA rankings, USD claims the top seed due to their victory over Pepperdine. Joining them are University of Pacific, Loyola Marymount University (LMU), Santa Clara University, and University of Portland. Matches begin on Thursday with Tigers versus Pilots and Lions versus Broncos. The winners will face Pepperdine and USD, respectively, on Friday morning.

USD enters as the top seed, boasting a 20-3 overall record and Oliver Tarvet ranked No. 6 in singles. Pepperdine, with a 13-10 overall record, takes the No. 2 seed. USD’s only defeat was against Pacific, contributing to the Tigers’ impressive 14-match winning streak, which ultimately secured them the No. 3 seed. LMU, with a 4-4 WCC record, secures the No. 4 seed. Santa Clara earns the No. 5 seed after defeating Gonzaga, while Portland rounds out the bracket as the No. 6 seed.

Last year, Pepperdine ended USD’s seven-year winning streak, clinching the championship. Both teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

For the Women’s tournament, No. 8 Pepperdine and No. 21 USD lead the charge. The tournament includes University of Pacific, LMU, Saint Mary’s, and Portland. Matches start on Thursday with Tigers versus Pilots and Lions versus Gaels at 1 p.m. Winners face USD and Pepperdine on Friday at 1:30 p.m.

Pepperdine takes the top seed with a perfect 6-0 WCC record, while USD claims the second seed at 5-1. Last year, Pepperdine secured its ninth consecutive title. The Tigers, with a 4-2 record, snag the No. 3 seed, while LMU edges Saint Mary’s for the No. 4 seed.

“I’m super grateful to have joined such an experienced team this year and have the opportunity to compete with top-ranked opponents in the country,” exclaimed Panorama City’s Kristina Nordikyan (USD). “We have broken many barriers this season together and we are looking forward to finishing off strong! I’m pumped going into my first WCC Championships and I know the dynamic of my team and the supportive energy of our families is going to make it memorable.”

The WCC offers live updates and streaming on the WCC Men’s and Women’s Tennis Tournament Central page.

Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championships

The 2024 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championships are scheduled from Wednesday, May 1 to Saturday, May 4. More information about this tournament to come.