TUCSON, Ariz. — The 2024 Junior Three-Wall Nationals concluded in Tucson over the weekend. It was a hot outside, and players battled the Arizona sun as well as their opponents on the court. Thankfully, play was limited to just matches in the morning and then at night under the lights. Players were given a break during the heat of the day.

There was a Sonoran Hot Dog cart on site Saturday night and players and spectators enjoyed those and the cooler weather while watching matches. There was an award presentation for the Vince Munoz Sportsmanship Award, which was deservingly given to Tucson’s Brandon Valle, who is the nicest guy and a perfect recipient of the award. Raffle items were then given away to players, including AirPods, backpack, water bottles, gift cards, and more. 

On the court we saw many great matches, and crowned some new champions. Thank you to all of the coaches and parents who traveled and supported these junior players in the tournament. It’s not possible without you. 

19 and under:

Andres Cordova continues to show he is one of the best up and coming players in our sport. The younger brother of top pro’s Luis and Daniel Cordova, Andres has continued to improve over the years. Cordova rolled in his quarterfinal and semifinal to set up a highly anticipated final against Tucson’s Ayden Brule. 

Cordova came out fast and held Brule to just one point in game one. The second game began close, but Cordova was too steady for Brule, and used a strong serve down the left to score points and earn setups, winning 21-1, 21-13. 

Cordova fell in the big ball 19 and under final to Moses Gardea by the scores of 16-14, 15-8. Gardea excels in big ball and did a good job of moving Cordova all around the court. 

Cordova and Gardea teamed up in the 19 and under doubles and faced off with Brule and his partner Eliseo Gutierrez in the finals. Their final was probably the match of the tournament. After splitting the first two games, the tiebreaker was a back and forth affair. The teams were tied up at 10, and Brule and Gutierrez were serving on their second server. Brule hit a good serve and earned a setup with his right hand, which he killed in the left corner  giving his team the 11-10 victory. 

15 and under: 

Isaac Holguin slammed the 15 and under small ball division. Holguin plays out of Las Cruces, NM, and has started to rack up titles the past few years. Holguin won his first small ball singles national title by defeating Denver’s Zait Bustillos in two games. Holguin then teamed with 13 and under Champion KJ Lindsey to win the 15 and under doubles over Alex Guajardo and Angel Valenzuela 15-11, 15-7. 

In the Big Ball finals, Guajardo and Valenzuela played a thrilling final. The two are cousins and know each other’s game well. Guajardo took game one and Valenzuela game two. Guajardo started fast in the tiebreaker, and would hang on to win 11-5 in the finals. 

13 and under:

After losing in the first round of last year’s 13 and under division, Tucson’s KJ Lindsey showed off his improvement this year by winning both the small ball and big ball finals in the 13 and under division. In both finals his opponent was teammate Azriel Gomez, and each of the matches went tiebreaker with Lindsey prevailing. He is a steady player and almost never makes a hand error. 

The 13 and under doubles final was won by Luis Cordova III and Adrian Valenzuela. They swept the other three teams in their round robin division without dropping a single game. 

11 and under:

Lastly, the 11 and under small ball and big ball division was won by Albuquerque’s Adrian Valenzuela. Valenzuela is tremendous for an 11 year old, as he moves very well and almost never misses the ball. He was dominant against everyone in his division and has a bright future in the sport. 

A special thank you to Fred Lewis, Abe Montijo, Max Langmack, and Richie Fernandez for their support and volunteer efforts. Check out all of the results HERE. 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

For the first time ever, the USHA Three-Wall Junior Nationals will be held in Tucson, AZ at the Clark Park Three-Wall Courts! Matches will begin Friday July 12th and continue through Sunday morning. Matches will only be played in the morning and in the evening to stay out of the heat. 

Defending 19 and under champion Ayden Brule is back to defend his title on his home courts, but he will face a stiff challenge from ranked pro Andres Cordova, as well as New Mexico’s Moses Gardea and Colorado’s Eliseo Gutierrez. Follow along here for results from the tournament!