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LowCountry Tennis Association

LCTA July 2026 Newsletter

LCTA July 2026 Newsletter

In this Issue

  • More Choices for Local Playoff Gifts!!
  • LCTA State Champions and More!!
  • LCTA All-Star
  • Fun Tennis Fact – Wimbledon Edition
  • In Memoriam

New Local Playoff Champions Playoff Gift Options

This year, we’re excited to offer our local league champions the opportunity to choose their player gift, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Players have really appreciated having the opportunity to select a gift they’ll truly enjoy or donate to a noteworthy local charity.

The players can choose from four fabulous items: towels, wristbands, stemless wine glasses or twill baseball caps, all with our logo and CHAMPION on them, also there are four local charities they can choose from, and over 42% of the players have opted to give a $10 donation to one of the charities in lieu of a gift. This is heartwarming and such a wonderful gift to the lowcountry.

A couple of facts about each charity:

The Lowcountry Foodbank (thelowcountryfoodbank.org)

Founded in 1983, Lowcountry Food Bank strives to fulfill our mission to unite our community in pursuit of equitable, dignified, and consistent access to food throughout the 10 coastal counties of South Carolina.

ACEing Autism (aceingautism.org/programs/charleston-sc/)

 Run out of Daniel Island Club by the Director of Tennis Ben Cook, with 2 six week clinic sessions a year, gives opportunities to kids with autism.

Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic (bifmc.org)

Founded in 2006 and opened in 2008. Open to the tri county community and helps those that are uninsured.

Third Serve Foundation (thirdservefoundation.com)

An after school program teaching tennis at no cost which serves children from underserved communities; offering free transportation from the school to the courts, and they also have a literary program.

We want to thank each of you for your generosity!

Blue graphic with a radio tower icon at the top, bold white text in the center reading “LOCAL LEAGUE COORDINATOR UPDATES,” and the Lowcountry Tennis Association logo at the bottom.

State Champions, Updates to Registration Dates for Fall League and Fall Flex League

Registration Date Updates for Fall League Tennis and Flex League

18 and Over, 39 and Over, 54 and Over, 64 and Over, 69 and Over

Registration now:

Opens 8/9/2026

Closes 9/6/2026

Play Starts 9/21/2026

Flex Registration now:

Opens 7/6/2026

Closes 9/13/2026

Play Starts 9/14/2026

A trophy with

The LCTA had fantastic results in the South Carolina State Championship Tournament. Best of luck to those teams heading to Sectionals.

Congratulations to Our Winners and Finalists!!

18 & Over – Champions

2.5 Men – Maybank. Captain Ryan Colley. See below*.

3.0 Women – MPR – Captain Danielle Richardson

3.5 Women – Creekside – Captain Sarah Sass

3.5 Men – MPR – Captain Steven Howle

4.5 Men – I’On – Capt. Bo Crouch

18 & Over – Finalists

2.5 Women – LTPDI – Captain Kathryn Frailey

3.5 Women – DIC – Captain Julie Trost

4.5 Women – LTPDI – Captain Alice Kryder

40 & Over – Champions

2.5 Women – I’On – Captain Adriana Jacoud

3.5 Women – MPR – Captain Crystal Daniel

4.0 Women – Creekside – Captain Lauren Ronk

3.0 Men – Snee Farm – Captain John Maize

3.5 Men – Maybank – Captain Lance Tyner

40 & Over Finalists

3.0 Women – Snee Farm – Captain Jennifer Smith

4.0 Women – Maybank – Captain Corene Kronsberg

4.5 Women – LTPDI – Captain Maria Elliott

4.0 Men – MPR – Captain Michael Hauser

4.5 Men – MPR – Captain William Shelley

55 & Over Champions

3.0 Women – DIC – Capt. Camila Gilsenan – WINNER OF THE SECTIONAL TOURNAMENT

55 & Over Finalists

3.5 Women – Doty Park – Captain Faye Mackall

3.0 Men – LTPDI – Captain David Lanphear

9.0 Men – Wild Dunes – Captain Fred McKay

70 & Over Champion

4.0 Women – MPR – Captain Becky Williamson

*18 & Over 2.5 Men headed straight to the Sectional tournament.

3.0 55 and Over Ladies USTA are heading to Nationals!

For the first time ever, Daniel Island Club is sending a team to the USTA National Championship Tournament. The Ladies 3.0 55 and over team, captained by Cami Gilsenan, won the Southern Sectional tournament.

The Daniel Island Crushers swept the final match by winning all three courts to capture the Southern Sectional title. They went 5-0 and 14-1 individually.

The National Championships will be held in Mobile, Alabama November 6-8th. Best of luck, bring home the National Championship!!

Thirteen women in tennis outfits pose outdoors, smiling and holding a green sign that reads “USTA Southern Sectional Champion Adult 55 & Over 3.0 Women,” in front of a building with flowers and bushes.

Pictured left to right – Coach Ann Harrah, Dianne Potts, Lora Dennis, Elke Pizzo, Tricia Gottlieb, Mickey Peart, Captain Cami Gilsenan, Deirdre McMurtry, Missy Moran, Amy Baker, Linda Porter, Gail Russell and Martha Daley.

Seven women in tennis outfits stand on an outdoor tennis court, smiling and celebrating while holding a blue sign reading

Ten men stand in front of a tennis court holding signs celebrating their 2023 USTA League State Championship win. The group smiles in bright sunlight, wearing casual athletic clothing and hats.

Nine men stand on a tennis court, smiling and holding blue and green banners that say

A women's tennis team poses outdoors, smiling and holding

Nine women stand on grass by tennis courts, smiling and holding banners and a sign reading “2023 USTA League State Championships.” It is evening, and the tennis courts are lit in the background.

Congratulations to all our recent Local League Champions and Finalists!

65 and Over Men

3.0 LCTA65/Morgenthal/LTPDI CHAMPION

3.5 LCTA65/Peiffer/LTPDI CHAMPION

4.0 LCTA65/Lee/MPR CHAMPION

65 and Over Women

3.0 LCTA65/Cranor Ricciardi/LTPDI CHAMPION

3.5 LCTA65/Hoey/LTP-DI CHAMPION

4.0 LCTA65/Claussen/LTP-DI CHAMPION

Singles – Women – 18 and Over

2.5 LCTA18/Huennekens/CTC CHAMPION

3.0 LCTA18/Williams/DIC CHAMPION

3.5 LCTA18/Murphy/MPR CHAMPION

4.0 LCTA18/Sullivan-Zang/LTPDI CHAMPION

Singles – Women – 40 and Over

3.0 LCTA40/O’Brien/DIC CHAMPION

3.5 LCTA40/Koepenick/Wild Dunes CHAMPION

4.0 LCTA40/Koepenick/Wild Dunes CHAMPION

Mixed Doubles 18 and Over

2.5 LCTA18/Allen/LTPDI CHAMPION

3.0 LCTA18/Hughes-Wight/Doty Park CHAMPION

3.0 LCTA18/Hakimi/Snee Farm FINALIST

3.5 LCTA18/Facello-Soler/Maybank CHAMPION

3.5 LCTA18/Kichanan-Harmon/Snee Farm FINALIST

4.0 LCTA18/Greathouse/Maybank CHAMPION

4.5 LCTA18/Greathouse/Maybank CHAMPION

10.0 LCTA18/Richey/CTC CHAMPION

Mixed Doubles 40 and Over

3.0 LCTA40/Carter/Doty CHAMPION

3.0 LCTA40/Evanko/LTPDI FINALIST

3.5 LCTA40/Howle/Maybank CHAMPION

3.5 LCTA40/Tyner-Keiper/Maybank FINALIST

4.0 LCTA40/Kronsberg/Maybank CHAMPION

4.5 LCTA40/Faust/Maybank CHAMPION

Mixed Doubles 55 and Over

3.0 LCTA55/Mastalerz/Doty CHAMPION

3.5 LCTA55/Karika/Ashborough East CHAMPION

4.0 LCTA55/Kopchains/LTPDI CHAMPION

Mixed Doubles 65 and Over

3.0 LCTA65/Jones/LTPDI CHAMPION

4.0 LCTA65/Claussen/MPR CHAMPION

2026 USTA South Carolina Captain of the Year Nomination

Nominations for Captain of the Mixed season are due July 31.

Click here to nominate


Blue graphic with text inviting nominations for the

Two women in tennis outfits happily pose together by a tennis court, holding a large blue sign that reads,

July All Star – Savannah Wilhelm

This month’s LCTA All Star is Savannah Wilhelm, one of Maybank’s leading women. Savannah captained the Low Country’s state-winning 18+ 7.5 Women’s Combo team, only to cap off the season by taking home the Southern Sectional Championship.

In her downtime, Savannah loves spending time with friends, playing Mahjong, and enjoying a good cocktail. “I like anything that’s social and relaxed—just being around good people and unwinding,” she says.

Born and raised in Hartsville, Savannah started playing tennis in the fourth grade. “My dad was in charge of picking me up from dance class one day, and I cried the whole way home because I absolutely hated dance. That ended up being the turning point. My parents took me to Target, I picked out a hot pink tennis racket and balls, and that was basically it. I was all in from there.” Savannah credits her coach growing up, “incredible” Joe Capobianco, for helping to shape her love for the game early on.

While she’s played out of MPR too, living downtown and working on James Island has brought Savannah to Maybank, where she plays and captains several teams. “I really enjoy the people and the community there,” she says. “And they have the Christmas lights up year round!”

Of what she loves most about our sport, it’s “how it brings people together,” Savannah tells us. “I’ve met so many new friends through tennis, and it connects you with people of all ages and backgrounds. Captaining makes that even more meaningful because you get to help build those connections and be part of creating a strong, supportive team environment.”

As for her favorite shot? “ If you know me, you know it’s the backhand. It’s definitely my favorite, and one I rely on a lot.”  

A smiling cartoon tennis ball with arms and legs points to a speech bubble that says

Regarding Wimbledon Grand Slam….. the most critical rule is that players must wear all white.

This sartorial requirement dates back to the Victorian era. The first Wimbledon tournament was held in 1877, and in those days, any kind of sweat was considered unseemly.

So, it was deemed that colorful clothing revealed sweat stains more easily than white clothing did. Thus, the tennis whites rule was born, elevating Wimbledon to a classier echelon among sporting events.

Two flags with Wimbledon logos wave in the foreground, while a blurred grass tennis court and grandstands filled with spectators are visible in the background.

A blue memorial card for Nancy Bryson Schwartz, 1956-2026, noting a $100 donation to the SC Tennis Foundation by LCTA in her memory. Decorative corner designs frame the text.