Naperville, Illinois – The UCLA Badminton Club is poised for a run at the Yonex National Collegiate Team Badminton Championships Division 1 Playoff, scheduled for April 11-12, after completing an undefeated season in the Southern California Collegiate Badminton League (SCCBL). The Bruins finished with a perfect 12-0 record, securing the top overall ranking and guaranteeing their place in the national tournament.
The SCCBL features competition against teams like UC San Diego, UC Irvine, and USC. Each meet pits teams against three different colleges, with matches contested across five disciplines: Women’s Singles, Men’s Singles, Women’s Doubles, Men’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles. UCLA typically fields two representatives in each event, allowing for a diverse showcase of player skillsets.
The team’s success this season built on early momentum established at UC San Diego during the fall quarter. That energy continued through winter quarter, with Meets 3 and 4 hosted at UCLA, providing a home-court advantage for the Bruins.
“I thought the league meets were a well-run series of events and a great opportunity to meet players from other schools,” said Jake Alesi, a first-year competitive team member. “Coming from Singapore, it was likewise nice to get a feel for the Badminton scene in California and the players here. It was great receiving coaching from my upperclassmen on the court, and I look forward to watching their performance at nationals.”
The team’s consistent performance throughout the season was a testament to the depth of talent and dedication within the club. Players rotated through lineups, contributing key wins and demonstrating versatility. Annabelle Zhang, the Events Coordinator, highlighted the spirit of competition within the league. “It’s always great to see all these schools come together to compete. This year, two meets were organized by UCSD and the other two by us, and we had a great turnout at all four. Badminton isn’t an NCAA sport, but people care so much about it that we still identify ways to come together and play, and this year was no exception. I’m really looking forward to seeing what nationals brings.”
Despite losing key players from last year’s national championship team, UCLA maintained its winning form. Team Captain Andrew Wang expressed pride in the team’s resilience. “Coming into the school year, we were missing a few key players that had helped us win nationals last year. Still, our team managed to continue our success from the previous year, getting first place in the Socal Collegiate Badminton Circle and securing a spot for Nationals. I’m extremely proud of our team’s relentless fighting spirit, and I hope we continue this momentum into Nationals to win a consecutive gold medal.”
The UCLA Badminton Club extends gratitude to all its competitive team members for their commitment throughout the season. Their dedication, sportsmanship, and consistent performance were instrumental in achieving the undefeated record.
Representing UCLA at Nationals will be Alice Wang, Rena Chen, Ellen Zulkarnain, Joline Siu, Annabelle Zhang, Alex Young, Kathleen Laura Emperador, Helen Feng, Ryan Ma, Samuel W. Li, Daniel Zhou, Daniel Bielin, Andrew Wang, Matthew Li, Austin Mao, and Samuel J. Li.
At the national tournament in Naperville, Illinois, UCLA will face top collegiate teams from various regions, including the NorCal, Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic conferences. The competition will ultimately determine the best collegiate badminton team in the country – a title UCLA aims to defend after winning it last year.
The UCLA Badminton Club, open to players of all skill levels, offers both recreational and competitive opportunities. Players interested in joining can find membership information and schedules on the club’s website: https://uclabadminton.crd.co/. Membership requires completing forms, including a Pre-Participation Physical Exam (PPE) and a concussion training course, and paying dues of $50 for a quarter or $85 for a full year.
The team’s success underscores the growing popularity of badminton at the collegiate level, even outside of NCAA sponsorship. The dedication of players and organizers ensures the continuation of competitive opportunities for students passionate about the sport.
The next step for UCLA Badminton is the Yonex National Collegiate Team Badminton Championships Division 1 Playoff, beginning April 11th in Naperville, Illinois. Follow UCLA Club Badminton on Instagram for updates throughout the tournament.
