Rivalries are Renewed, Families are Formed

The skies were blue and the tension was high as UC Berkeley inched past finalist Stanford to win their 9th Championship in a row during the 2019 Tennis on Campus Sectionals. UC Davis placed third and Santa Clara University placed fourth.

The event was hosted at Stanford University on November 9-10. Twenty-four teams competed from 10 individual schools.  It was controlled chaos with over 200 TOC athletes roaming the campus.

According to USTA Adult League Specialist, DeDee Winfield, the entire weekend was eventful.  

“The match between Sanford Axe and Santa Clara Tennis the Menace (was the most memorable),” said Winfield.  “They ended up in a super tiebreaker to determine who moved forward to the semis. The court was lined with both school cheering. Great sportsmanship and camaraderie.”

But sectionals isn’t always about winning. A lot of teams travel from long and far hoping to leave Stanford with more than just a championship title.

“The Atmosphere at Sectionals is always incredible.  Everyone is so nice and are there to compete as hard as they can and it’s where their head work over the season pays off.  It’s one of those experiences that turns your club team into a family. I’m definitely going to miss it after graduating,” said Sac State Senior Keeler Karwin.

Winfield echoed the sentiment. She went on to say that this event is one of the most fun and exciting of the year.

“Parents and Alumni came to support their teams.  All the kids helped with the event. It was a real team effort in every sense,” said Winfield.

Both UC Berkeley and Stanford have earned a bid to the Tennis on Campus National Championships, where they will be compete for the National title at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida on April 2-4, 2020.

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