Eight past participants selected for the inaugural Hall Of Fame class

The DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships is proud to announce our initial class of eight Hall of Fame inductees. These players have made an impact not only on our event but in high school and collegiate tennis. These players exemplify what high school tennis is all about and have received numerous honors for their on-court and off-court success. Beginning in 2016 we will annually induct one male and one female past participant to our Hall of Fame. 

Samantha Caswell

The Chattanooga native was a driving force behind Baylor School three straight DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championship titles. Caswell was a three-time Most Valuable Player and All-Tournament team selection all-four year. She was also selected as a 2014 National High School All-American. Caswell is currently a freshman at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga where the Mocs are off to a 4-0 start and Caswell remains undefeated in Singles and Doubles. Samantha holds a number of tournament records including most consecutive wins with 19.

 

Brett Clark

Clark is one of three past participants to receive the prestigious honor of being named National High School Coaches Association Athlete of the Year. The 2012 Barron Collier graduate finished his career with a 13-3 all-time record at the DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships earning back-to-back All-Tournament team honors. Clark finished his senior year as the 9th ranked recruit in the nation. He was also two-time National High School All-American selection. The University of North Carolina junior had a 107-45 record entering this season and has been ranked as high as 35th in the ITA National rankings.

 

Joey Fritz

Fritz was the 2010 Most Valuable Player in the Boys B Division. He led his Cincinnati Country Day team to the tournament title going undefeated in tournament play. The nation's 19th ranked player in his class Fritz was named a 2010 National High School All-American. He went on to play his collegiate tennis at Amherst. During his collegiate career Fritz was a three-time ITA Division III Singles All-American. He capped off a 60+ win collegiate career with an NCAA Division III Singles Championship and the title of Intercollegiate Tennis Association Senior Player of the Year.

 

Jared Hiltzik

 

The 2012 DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships Most Valuable Player has already made a huge impact at the collegiate level. Hiltzik, who came out of high school as the top ranked recruit in the country in the class of 2012, signed with his home state University of Illinois. As a junior Hiltzik has already been named Big Ten Freshmen of the Year, First-Team All-Big Ten twice, Big Ten Tennis Athlete of the Week five times and ITA Scholar Athlete twice. Hiltzik reached the ITA National Indoor Championship match as a sophomore and he entered his junior season with a 60-22 overall record and is currently ranked 23rd in the ITA Division I Singles Rankings.  

Kourtney Keegan

The 2012 tournament participants became the first female participant to ever receive National High School All-American honors receiving the award back-to-back in 2012 & 2013. Keegan was the 2012 USTA Georgia Junior Player of the Year and 2012 USTA G18 National Clay Court Championships consolation singles winner. As a freshman Keegan won a team-best 32 doubles matches and was selected as the ITA Southeast Region Rookie Player of the Year. Keegan has a Career-High ITA singles ranking of 26th and is currently ranked 4th in the country in the ITA Doubles rankings. She also received ITA Scholar Athlete honors as a freshman.

 

Cassie Mercer

University of Virginia freshman Cassie Mercer, a 2013 DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships All-Tournament Team selection, was named the 2014 Girls Tennis Athlete of the Year by the National High School Coaches Association. Mercer was a four-time West Virginia Class AAA Singles, Doubles and Team State Champion. In her freshman season with the Cavaliers she won the USTA/ITA Atlantic Regional doubles title to earn an automatic berth to the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships. She has a 26-18 overall record this year is currently ranked 21st in the country in the ITA Doubles rankings.

Chase Perez-Blanco

Perez-Blanco received quite the list of honors during his time playing high school tennis. The 2013 DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships All-Tournament Team selection was also named a National High School All-American in 2013 & 2014 and was selected as the 2014 Boys Tennis Athlete of the Year by the National High School Coaches Association. Perez-Blanco was a two-time Individual State Champion and three-time Team State Champion at Gulliver Prep. As a freshman at the University of Florida he began the spring ranked 50th in the nation in the ITA Doubles rankings.

Olivia Thaler

Gulliver Prep alum Olivia Thaler was a 2013 DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships All-Tournament Team selection. The William & Mary freshman was a two-time Florida Doubles State Champion, two-time Florida Team State Champion, two-time Miami-Dade Player of the Year and two-time National High School All-American. Thaler is currently 21-15 overall in her freshman season.

We are honored to have had these fantastic players participate in our event. They provide a great example for our future participants as to how to succeed both on and off the court. Beginning in 2016 we will honor one male and one female with induction into the DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships Hall of Fame.

2015 Boys B Division Bracket Released

The pairings for the 2015 DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships Boys B Division presented by Icy Hot have been released. The 14-team division features teams from California, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Tournament play with begin with opening round and quarterfinal play on Friday and Semi-final and final rounds on Saturday.

Top overall seed Jenks (Jenks, OK) will compete in their third straight DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships. The Trojans, defending Oklahoma Class 6A State Runner-Up, finished 15th in the Boys A Division last year. They return just two of their top six players but will be led by senior Braden Singleton.  Jenks opens tournament play with a bye and will play the winner of Vandebilt Catholic vs. Mount Saint Joseph in the quarterfinals.

Vandebilt Catholic (Houma, LA), defending Louisiana Division II State Champion, will make their first appearance in the event since 2011. The Terriers return all five members of the state championship squad including Individual Doubles State Champions Mason Melancon & Connor Doyle and Individual Singles State Finalist Mitchell Thomas. Vandebilt Catholic will meet Mount Saint Joseph (Baltimore, MD) in their first round match. The Gaels are making their fifth straight appearance in the event. Mount Saint Joseph finished third at last year's Boys B Division and returns four of their top six players from last season including senior Quentin Boustany.

Blessed Trinity (Roswell, GA) will make their first appearance in the event. The Titans return four of their top five from last season's Georgia Class 3A State Quarterfinalist team. Blessed Trinity will be led by senior Matt Marin and Matt Ghering, an Air Force commit. Blessed Trinity will open tournament play against Milton (Milton, GA). The Eagles will also be making their first tournament appearance in the event. Milton is looking to bounce back after a 5-13 record last season. They will be led by junior Kyle Laubenstein.

The tournament's fourth seed R.J. Reynolds (Winston-Salem, NC) will make their third tournament appearance. The Demons finished as Boys A Division Consolation Winners last year. Reynolds returns three of their top four players including junior Bennett Crane and senior Air Force commit Nick McDaniel. The Demons, defending North Carolina Class 4A State Finalist, will meet Woodward Academy (College Park, GA) in the opening round. Woodward Academy will be making their fourth appearance in the event and first since 2013. The War Eagles, defending Georgia Class 3A State Finalist, return three of their top six players from last season. Woodward will be led by the trio of Cole Ritchey, Brett Schwartz, and Walker Robitscher.

The third overall seed in the tournament Tennessee High (Bristol, TN) will be making their first appearance in the event. The Vikings return all of their top five players from last year's Tennessee Division I Class 3A State Championship team. Tennessee will be led by the duo of senior Matt Henson and sophomore Jacob Marshall, the defending Tennessee Division I Class 3A Doubles State Champions. Tennessee High will open tournament play against University School of Nashville (Nashville, TN). USN will be making their first appearance in the event since 2012. The Tigers will be led by sophomore Will Johnston.

Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA) will become just the second California team to participate in the event. The Eagles who ranked 10th in Division 1 in Southern California last year. Santa Margarita is led by the senior duo of Ryan Dugan and Ricky Kurtz, Southern California Doubles State Semi-finalists. The Eagles will open tournament play against Siegel (Murfreesboro, TN). The Stars will also be making their first appearance in the event. The defending Tenessee Division 1 Class 3A State Semi-finalists return three of their top five players including Austin Peay signee Taylor Graalman.

Carrollton (Carrollton, GA) will make their first appearance in the event this year. The Trojans were 19-5 last season and champions of the 2014 Jekyll Jam. Carrollton returns six of their top seven players from the Georgia Class 4A State Quarterfinalist Team. Sophomore Carver Arant will lead the Trojans. Carrollton will meet Cambridge (Milton, GA) in the opening round of the tournament. Cambridge will look to continue the success they began last year finishing 12-6 including a win over eventual state champion Brookwood. Cambridge is led by senior David Ashcom who went unbeaten at No. 1 Singles last year.

The second seeded Starr's Mill (Fayetteville, GA) is trying to build on their 14-4 State Quarterfinalist finish from last year. This will be the first appearance in the event for Starr's Mill. The Panthers will be led by sophomore Noah McPherson. Starr's Mill's advances to the quarterfinals with a bye and will face the winner of Carrollton vs. Cambridge.

The 2015 DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships title match will be held on Saturday, March 28th at 2:30pm at Champions Tennis Club.

2015 Boys A Division Bracket Released

 

The pairings for the 2015 DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships Boys A Division presented by Icy Hot have been released. The 16-team division features teams from Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee. Teams will be guaranteed four matches in tournament play with opening round and quarterfinal play on Friday and Semi-final and final rounds on Saturday.

Two-time defending champion Hinsdale Central (Hinsdale, IL) opens tournament play as the top overall seed in the top quarter of the bracket. The Red Devils have won eight straight matches in tournament play and return four of their top six players from last year. The defending Illinois State Champions will be led by defending tournament MVP and Ohio State signee Martin Joyce, Dartmouth commit Eddie Grabill, Wisconsin commit Lope Adelakun. Hinsdale Central's first round opponent is defending Tennessee Division II Class A State Champion Webb School of Knoxville (Knoxville, TN). The Spartans will make fourth tournament appearance led by Dayton commit Lorenzo Rollhauser and Tennessee's second ranked sophomore Thomas Loaiza.
 
Cardinal Gibbons (Raleigh, NC) returns to the DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships for the fourth time. The Crusaders, who swept the North Carolina Class 3A State Championship in the singles, doubles and team division last season, will be led by Penn State signee Matt Galush. Cardinal Gibbons will meet Pensacola Catholic (Pensacola, FL) in their opening round match. Pensacola Catholic was 18-1 in dual match play last season including a championship performance at the McGill-Toolen Invitational. The Crusaders finished 6th in Florida's Class A State Tournament last year and are led by Top 50 National Recruit Chris Ephron.  

 

Saint Xavier (Louisville, KY), the tournament's all-time winningest program, will make their sixth straight appearance in the event. The Tigers who won the tournament title in 2010 and were a finalist last year return four of their top six players from last year's Kentucky State Championship team including University of Louisville signee Brandon Lancaster. Saint Xavier will open tournament play against Heritage Hall (Oklahoma City, OK). This will be Heritage Hall's first appearance in the event. The Chargers, defending Oklahoma Class 5A State Champion, will be led by senior Nick Funches and sophomore Miller Zeiders.

 

The tournament's fourth seed Wiregrass Ranch (Wesley Chapel, FL) is making their second straight appearance in the event. Wiregrass Ranch, defending Florida Class 3A State Champion, finished 14th in the event last year without their top two players. This year the Bulls will be led by juniors Agie Moreno and Pedro Fernandez and return their top three players from last year's event. Wiregrass Ranch will open tournament play against Edmond Memorial (Edmond, OK). The Bulldogs, 2014 Boys B Division Finalist, return four of their top five players from last season. Edmond Memorial, the fourth place finisher in Oklahoma Class 6A last year, is led by seniors Blake Cherry and Jacob Plant.

Memphis University School (Memphis, TN), the third overall seed, will return to the event for the first time since 2013. The Owls finished fifth at the National Invitational High School Team Tennis Tournament last year and third at the DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships in 2013. Memphis University School will have to replace their top singles player, but Alabama signee Spencer Richey and Middle Tennessee commit Michael Apple are ready to fill that role. MUS will open tournament play against Edwardsville (Edwardsville, IL). The Tigers finished 12th in last year's event and must replace a pair of Division I recruits. Seniors Kyle Carlson, Jonathan Koons, Joe Mezo and Erik Weiler will look to step up for the Tigers.

 

Northview (Johns Creek, GA) will be one of only three teams making their first appearance in the event. The Titans had five freshman in their lineup last year wining the Georgia Class 5A State Championship. Northview will be led by sophomores Matt Terry and Jeremy Yuan. The Titans will meet host Baylor (Chattanooga, TN) in their first round match. Baylor, the second winningest program all-time in this year's event, are competing in the event for the fifth straight year. Seniors Chad Woodham, an Austin Peay signee, and Jack Gray will lead the Red Raiders who finished in 10th place in last year's event.

 

The Mary Institute and Country Day School Rams (St. Louis, MO) will make their second straight appearance in the event. The Rams finished in 8th place last year. MICDS returns four of their top five players including three of Missouri's top four ranked junior Joseph McAllister, Tyler Raclin and Rex Serituk. MICDS will meet McCallie (Chattanooga, TN) in the opening round. McCallie is making their first tournament appearance since 2013. The Blue Tornadoes return four of their top five players from their Tennessee Division II Class AA State Finalist team.

The tournament second seed Spartanburg (Spartanburg, SC) returns every member of their team that finished 7th at last year's event. The youthful Vikings return highly ranked sophomores Spencer Brown and Chambers Easterling and freshman Bryce Keim. Spartanburg won the South Carolina Class 4A State Championship last season outscoring opponents 29-1. The Vikings will meet Winter Park (Winter Park, FL) in the opening round of play. Winter Park will rely on their senior to try and duplicate their fourth place finish from last year. The Wildcats will be making their third straight appearance in the event led by seniors Will Smyrk and Ninan Kumar, an Army commit.

The 2015 DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships title match will be held on Saturday, March 28th at 2:30pm at Champions Tennis Club.

2015 Girls B Division Bracket Released

The pairings for the 2015 DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships Girls B Division presented by Icy Hot have been released. The 8-team division features teams from Georgia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Tennessee and West Virginia. In the opening round teams will play two matches in pool play on Friday and a final round in pool play on Saturday with their results determining their place in the final round of tournament play on Saturday afternoon. The tournament pools are as follows:

 

Group A

Overall top seed Morgantown (Morgantown, WV) is the defending West Virginia Class AAA State Finalist. The Mohigans will be making their first tournament appearance led by the state's second ranked senior Abigail Rosiello, defending West Virginia Class AAA No. 1 Singles State Finalist. Russell (Russell, KY) return their entire team following a quarterfinal finish at the Kentucky State Tournament last year. The Red Devils, making their first appearance since 2010, are led by the defending Kentucky Doubles State Champions Maci Ferguson and Kierstin Hensley. Milton (Milton, GA) is looking to bounce back from a 5-12 season last year with the return of sophomores Morgan Liptak and Abbie Holcombe. Central Magnet (Murfreesboro, TN) looks to follow up an 11-3 district runner-up finish last season. Senior Ellis Bouldin will have big shoes to fill for the Tigers who have lost their top player each of the last two years.

 

Group B

Second seeded Assumption (Louisville, KY) will make their fifth tournament appearance. The Rockets will be led by Hallie Pennington, a two-time Kentucky State Doubles Round of 16 finisher. Duncan (Duncan, OK), defending Oklahoma Class 5A State Runner-up, will look to improve on their 9th place finish last season. The Demons will be led by Oklahoma Baptist signee Alex Bowers. Soddy Daisy (Soddy Daisy, TN) will make their first tournament appearance. The Trojans were a Tennessee Class AAA State Quarterfinalist last year will be led by sophomores Olivia Crowley and Chloe Mitchell. Union City (Union City, TN) returns their top four players from a 16-2 state semifinalist finish last season. The Golden Tornadoes will be led by the duo of Maddie King and Alex Parks.

 

Following pool play the tournament finals will be held on Saturday, March 21st at 1:30pm with the Championship match at Champions Club.

2015 Girls A Division Bracket Released

The pairings for the 2015 DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships Girls A Division presented by Icy Hot have been released. The 12-team division features teams from Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee. In the opening round on Friday teams will play two matches in pool play with their results determining their place in tournament play on Saturday. The tournament pools are as follows:

GROUP A
Overall top seed American Heritage (Delray Beach, FL), defending Florida Class A State Finalist, will be making their first appearance in the DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships. The Patriots lineup features the nation's 23rd ranked junior Taylor Russo and blue-chip rated 8th graders in Angelica Blake and Melissa Sakar. Defending Florida Class 3A State Champion Niceville (Niceville, FL) also makes their first tournament experience. Niceville is led by senior Samantha Sepe, a state finalist at No. 1 Singles in Florida Class 3A. Two-time tournament finalist Girls Preparatory School (Chattanooga, TN), defending Tennessee Division II Class AA State Finalist, returns doubles state semi-finalists Jennie McBrayer & Maddox Bandy.

GROUP B
Pine Crest (Fort Lauderdale, FL) returns their entire team that finished as a semi-finalist at the 2014 DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships. The Panthers return Florida Class 2A Doubles State Finalists Stephanie Taylor and Kaely Malik. Roswell (Roswell, GA) is led by senior Anmol Narang, an Army commit, and Madi Gulick. The Hornets, who finished 15-4 last year advancing to the Georgia State Tournament for the fourth straight year, are making their first tournament appearance. Starr's Mill (Fayetteville, GA), defending Georgia Class 5A State Champion, is led by Columbus State signee Rachael Williams and Mississippi State commit Caroline Kelly.

GROUP C
Walton (Marietta, GA), defending Georgia Class 6A State Champion, returns five of their top six players from last year's team that finished third at the DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships. The Raiders have won 10 of the past 11 State Champions in their class are led by Richmond signee Bella Kuse, Elon signee Suzanne Zenoni, and California-San Diego signee Jessica Cramer. Blessed Trinity (Roswell, GA), defending Georgia Class 3A State Champion, returns senior Nicole Haigwood and junior Julia Tasanasanta and adds four-star freshman Cameron Hastings. The Titans have won six straight State Championships. Ocean Springs (Ocean Springs, MS) won their fifth straight Mississippi Class 6A State Championships last season. The greyhounds are making their first tournament appearance since 2013 and are led by Mississippi's top ranked junior Amanda Kilduff.

GROUP D
Three-time DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships Champion Baylor (Chattanooga, TN) loses five seniors off last year's tournament finalist team. The defending Tennessee Division II Class AA State Champions will be led by sophomores Drew Hawkins and Ashton Jenne. Tennessee Division II Class AA semi-finalist Hutchison (Memphis, TN) return their entire roster from last year. Senior Gracie Donoghue will lead the Sting in their first tournament appearance since 2002. Cambridge (Milton, GA), defending Georgia Class 5A State Finalist will make their first appearance in tournament history. The Bears are led by four-star recruits Aimee Dervishian and Hanna Giddings.

The pool play winners will advance to the tournament semi-finals on Saturday, March 21st. The 2015 DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships Girls A Division Championship will take place at 3:00pm.

Volunteer Opportunities

The 2015 DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships presented by Icy Hot will be here before you know it! This is your chance to volunteer at one of the most prestigious high school tennis events in the country in beautiful Chattanooga, TN.

Now celebrating our 9th anniversary, the DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships will have a new look and feel to go along with our new location. With several new sponsors, including Chattanooga based Icy Hot, there will be an even higher level of energy and excitement around the event this spring.

Each year this event is considered the place to be with over 50 of the top high school tennis teams from across the country participating for the coveted tournament championships. With the future of tennis on display this event is a must see for tennis fans. Our diverse group of participants gives the event an energy and excitement like no other high school tournament in the country.

Without the continued support of volunteers the DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships would not be the success that it is today. Tournament Volunteer opportunities include tournament site directors, social media and web staff, tournament transportation (Runners), and hospitality staff. Please review the commitment requirements and our volunteer benefits package information below.

Volunteer Applications (see below) must be completed by March 13, 2015. If you have any questions e-mail us at hstennischampionships@gmail.com or call (502) 819-7784.