USTA Section: Southern California
Teams Defeated: Pepperdine, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego
USTA.com: When did you discover that you had the talent to win as a team?
I think we all doubted our own individual abilities to truly contribute to the team. But it wasn’t until we tied the games in the final mixed doubles match against UC San Diego that we knew we could win Regionals if we just believed in ourselves and played our game.
USTA.com: How does your team unwind after a day of matches?
We order 22 large pizzas: One for each of our team members. No, that is not a misprint.
USTA.com: When you qualified, how did you celebrate?
We doubled our pizza order and danced the night away, slept the entire next day and then played even more tennis because we are hardcore and dedicated tennis players.
USTA.com: Tell us a bit about how your school is unique?
We scream at each other before practice and try to make each other cry so we can play even more aggressively and intensely during practice. We are not scared to hit each other if necessary. We're only half joking.
USTA.com: How does your team fundraise? Do you serve your local community in a meaningful way?
The team sells delicious baked goods and tennis charms and bracelets. Also, we volunteer at local tennis events and offer instruction to young kids.
USTA.com: If you were to list three specific things that need to happen in order to win a National Championship, they would be:
- Play more practice matches and learn to compete under pressure.
- Stay pumped and warm between matches.
- Get better connected with our doubles partners and communicate constantly.
USTA.com: How do you exhibit school spirit?
The majority of our team likes to wear matching uniforms, so we can really feel in sync with each other. We also have many UCLA cheers to pump us up during a match.
USTA.com: Share with us a funny story about your team or team member(s).
One of our teammates slept in and completely missed the first round of Regionals and no one even noticed he was missing, not even our own coach. When we finally realized he was not there, he had already bummed a ride and eventually made it safely. Afterward, as his punishment, he had to dry tennis courts with a tiny hair blow dryer. No mercy.
USTA.com Share with us an uplifting story about your team or team member(s).
One of our teammates has a sister on UC San Diego, and they were pitted against each other in both the women’s doubles and the mixed doubles. Despite their competitive spirit and fierce aggression toward each other in the match, they came together in a heartwarming hug at the end of the match and congratulated each other on their success and achievements in tennis.