36 JULY 2026 Jo-Yee Chan and Vessa Turley’s 31 doubles wins set SDSU’s single-season record. PHOTO COURTESY OF VESSA TURLEY By Kylie de Best If you don’t keep up with tennis but the name Vessa Turley at least sounds familiar, it might be because she’s been featured in Arcadia News a few times throughout the years – and now she’s back with big news: Vessa finished her first year at San Diego State and has plans to continue taking over the court – in the U.S. and beyond. Vessa’s journey began when she was eight years old. At a time when she was trying many sports – volleyball, soccer, and softball – she also tried tennis, and immediately fell in love. She was inspired by her mother’s participation in a local league and was particularly drawn to its individual aspect. She only needed to find an opponent to play against rather than waiting for a whole team to show up. Throughout her high school career, Vessa was the team captain during the 2021-2022 season and won the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Billie Jean King National Title. She competed in several countries, including the J100 International Tennis Federation in Lima, Peru, where she placed second, and the J60 International Tennis Federation in Guatemala City, where she was a doubles champion. She also had four National Doubles Titles and two National Doubles Top 3 finishes. After graduation, Vessa moved to California and got to work right away. She noticed that college practices were at a much higher level than she was used to, with greater intensity, pressure, and higher stakes – especially considering everyone there had earned a place at the D1 level. “Being on a team is one of the best experiences I’ve had in my tennis career,” she said. “I love being able to go through the highs and lows with teammates.” During her first year at SDSU, she set the program’s single-season doubles record. She won the Mountain West Qualifier Doubles Championship, was a champion of the ITA Conference Masters, and competed in the NCAA Division I Doubles Championship. All as a freshman. Most recently, Vessa competed in two pro tournaments in May and June. During the first week, she reached the semifinal round with her partner, which she said was a big accomplishment. Her first pro tournament in January was a wildcard acceptance for a W100. She made the quarterfinals and received her first pro ranking. “My favorite moment this year was when our team qualified for the NCAA and competed at ASU against UCLA in the first round,” Vessa said. “The doubles point came down to me and my partner’s court, and we won our match in a tiebreaker. It was such a high-stakes match with energy and pressure, which I enjoyed competing in.” Another notable moment was clinching matches to win the doubles point. “When you clinch a match during doubles, a team secures the point, and the winning team starts 1-0. This is a very important point as it creates momentum and an advantage going into the following matches,” she said. Vessa had the opportunity to clinch the Mountain West Championship finals match against UNLV in a tiebreaker to win the first point. She also clinched the NCAA first-round doubles point against UCLA to close the final match during her freshman season. With ambitions of becoming an All- American and eventually playing professionally, Vessa’s next chapter promises to be just as impressive as the last. Arcadia alum Vessa Turley thrives in first year at SDSU WANTED: SUMMER VACATION PHOTOS Deadline: Monday, August 14 Send your photos to editor@arcadianews.com Be sure to let us know the names of the family or people in the photo, where you went and what you did! Send to: editor@arcadianews.com or instagram: @arcadianews ARCADIA • BILTMORE • CAMELBACK CORRIDOR SEPTEMBER 2022 VOL. 30 NO. 6 POSTMASTER: Requested in-home delivery date by Thursday September 1, 2022. Check out this year’s summer vacation photo spread to see where Arcadia spent the summer! PAGE 32 The sixth-annual Good Soles drive donated over 600 pairs of shoes to Child Crisis Arizona. PAGE 25 TWO PAIR OF GOOD SOLES SUMMER PHOTOS ARCADIA • BILTMORE • CAMELBACK CORRIDOR SEPTEMBER 2023 VOL. 31 NO. 06 POSTMASTER: Requested in-home delivery date by Friday September 1, 2023. SUMMER VACATION Check out this year’s summer vacation photo spread to see where Arcadia spent the summer! PAGE 32 Tavan students started the year off with new classrooms, playground equipment, and more. PAGE 26 TAVAN’S NEW LOOK ARCADIA • BILTMORE • CAMELBACK CORRIDOR SEPTEMBER 2024 VOL. 32 NO. 6 POSTMASTER: Requested in-home delivery date by Saturday, August 31, 2024. Check out this year’s summer vacation photo spread to see where Arcadia spent the summer! PAGE 32 Heidi Staudenmaier planned a different kind of birthday party this year – one that took her to new heights. PAGE 26 CONQUERING KILIMANJARO SUMMER VACATION 2025: Ben Downing, Gavin Martinez and Kenji Martinez swam with other boys from camp in the crisp water of Flathead Lake in Montana. 2024: Bill and Su Byron with grandson Vaughn near Durango, Colorado. 2023: Garrett, Katie, Riley, Parker and Frances Otondo at Glacier National Park. 2022: Henry McCarty (with Zane Gulick behind) at the Arizona Country Club. 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