This was our first time going up to USC for a tournament. Our A team won every match in the round robin stage (although the one against SDSU was very close), but eventually fell to UC Irvine in the gold bracket because of tiredness. It was a very close match, despite both our doubles matches and our guys' singles not being able to pull through. Our girls' singles player, Sisi Leong, did an outstanding job playing in the heat against their singles players who would not miss: one rally lasted for 50 shots! We caught up during our mixed match, but could not win enough games to eventually tie the game. However, it was a very good match, and many of our players played well considering we did not have our full lineup with us.

Our B team had very close matches too, especially during the round robin. However, we fell a little short in every match. However, our players showed great improvement over the course of the tournament, and it was very nice to see that everyone was having fun in the end of it all. Some of our singles players, Olivia Bryan and Maggie Satchwell, were able to play doubles this tournament as well and found a new interest in playing an entirely different game of tennis. Gautam Narayan, a normally passive player on the court, improved his game a lot with his newly found aggressiveness and precise hands on the court, and it was quite evident while watching him play. Everyone played different positions (either singles or doubles), and it was very eventful watching many new faces compete for the first time on our team. We were the only school to bring two teams to the tournament, and I consider ourselves lucky that we always are able to have the biggest presence at any Tennis On Campus tournament.

Other than the tennis tournament, many of us actually had the chance to go see a basketball game that was happening the same night at Staples Center. It was the first time many of our players had gone to see a basketball game, and the environment was a fun one to be in. It was a great bonding event for our team, as every tournament is, and we were glad to be able to spend the weekend in Los Angeles together. Every fall tournament is always about integrating the new members and returners of our team and making everyone feel as welcome as possible in our club. Results should be there, but it’s more imperative to us that we capture and remember the fun moments we have during these tournaments.