Championship Sunday Shines at 2025 USHA Wallball Nationals in Coney Island.
CONEY ISLAND, N.Y. — A surprise weather system greeted players and fans with rain on Championship Sunday at the 17th USHA Wallball National Championships. Fortunately, the courts dried by late morning, and final matches were underway by noon. Once play began, it was business as usual for the defending champions in the Men’s and Women’s Pro Singles divisions.
Tavo Ruiz and Jenny Qu each successfully defended their titles—and looked dominant doing so.
In the Men’s Pro final, Ruiz had kept all his opponents in single digits leading up to the championship. Tywan Cook, seeking to reclaim a spot atop the podium, gave Ruiz his toughest challenge, staying within reach at 18-14. But an untimely error handed Ruiz the serve, and he responded with four quick points. Though Cook briefly regained a chance in the service box, he couldn’t capitalize, and Ruiz closed out the match 25-14 to retain his crown.
In the Women’s Pro final, Qu faced off against Melanie Garate. Qu jumped out to a commanding 23-7 lead before Garate found her rhythm, hitting several flat kills to close the gap to 23-12. Qu wisely took a timeout to regroup, then returned to finish off the match with poise, securing her third straight national title.
Garate would earn redemption in the Women’s Pro Doubles final, teaming up with her sister Jessenia to defeat Qu and partner Biridiana Garcia, 25-20.
“Jenny Qu just continues to dominate in singles,” said tournament director Jared Vale. “And the Garate sisters remain the standard in doubles.”
In Men’s Pro Doubles, Carlin Rosa captured his second straight title—this time with a new partner, Allan Sanchez. The duo looked sharp throughout and dismantled Timbo Gonzalez and Los Pena in the final, 25-6. “Allan and Carlin were just too much for them to handle,” Vale added.
Masters Division Recap: Jose Olivencia of Queens once again proved his dominance in the 40+ division, edging out Brooklyn newcomer Deshawn Kearse in a thrilling 25-24 final. Kearse had earlier knocked off the No. 2 and 3 seeds, signaling he’ll be a name to watch next year—especially if the 50+ eligible Olivencia chooses to compete down again.
Olivencia didn’t stop there. He added a third 50+ Singles title to his résumé with an impressive 25-21 win over big-ball legend Ray Lopez.
Lopez bounced back by unleashing his powerful serve in the 50+ Doubles, teaming with George Figueroa to defeat Jared Vale and Tim Moeller, 25-6. “Simply amazing—Ray’s serves were on,” said Vale, who had a front-row seat on the receiving end.
In the 40+ Doubles, Allan Sanchez earned his second medal of the day, pairing with Paul Yagual to outlast Sam “Clutch” and Andre Diaz, 25-17.
Shena Brown and Elaine Gillard claimed top honors in Women’s 35+ Doubles, defeating Erica Mendez and Terry Delosrios, 25-10.
B Division Highlights: Top seed Gerardo Ruiz dominated the B Singles division and was awarded the title after Juan Mendoza was forced to forfeit the final. Ruiz completed the “B Slam” by teaming with Brian “Toro” Duran to win the B Doubles final over Jonathan Rodriguez and Lur Ziarrusta, 25-15.
In Women’s B Singles, Shantel Mena broke through after several near misses in previous years, defeating junior standout Tiffany Lau, 25-9. Lau returned in the Women’s B Doubles final, teaming with Kennedi Walker to defeat Leslie Spencer and Michelle Cardenas, 25-11.
After a soggy start, Championship Sunday finished with a flourish—highlighting excellence across every division and age group. Congratulations to all champions and the players who pushed them every step of the way!
Special Thanks A huge thank-you goes to tournament director Jared Vale, who once again led a top-tier team to deliver a memorable event. Gratitude also goes out to these standout volunteers and contributors:
China Pizarro – The Queen of Court Management
Laurence DuBois – Chief of Referees and Discipline
Glenn Usher & Reggie – Best Supporting Refs
Joanne Ly – Best Supporting Staff
Jason Lieng – Newest Team Member and USHA Northeast Commissioner
Richard Mascia – Most Reliable Supporter
Albert Apuzzi – Best Equipment Supplier
Joe “Carmen” Kaplan – Best Equipment Packer
Phil “Pwnzz” (Ten’s Finest) – Best Co-Streamer
Themyscira Di Prince – Best Co-Streamer and Newest National Champ
The 17th USHA Wallball National Championships return to the Seaside Handball Courts at Asser Levy Park in Coney Island, June 20–22. Players from across the country will battle it out in one of the sport’s most electric atmospheres—just steps from the beach, boardwalk, and iconic New York summer vibes.
This is your last weekend to register for one of the most exciting events on the USHA calendar. The deadline to enter is June 15. Entries will be accepted on Monday, June 16, by 3 p.m. (EDT) for a $15 fee.
The 17th USHA Wallball National Championships offers:
Custom souvenir
Tournament hospitality
Certified referees
High-level competition on historic courts
Competition kicks off early Friday morning, June 20. Plan an early Friday start for divisions with 16 or more entries. Players should be prepared to compete throughout the weekend, with champions crowned Sunday afternoon.
Whether you’re coming to play or to watch, this year’s Wallball Nationals promises high-octane rallies, passionate crowds, and unforgettable moments.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Gustavo Ruiz and Jenny Qu looked sharp as they successfully defended their titles at the 16th USHA Wallball Nationals.
In the Men’s Pro final, Ruiz faced off against five-time champion Tywan Cook. Throughout the tournament, Ruiz demonstrated his dominance by consistently delivering powerful serves that barely cleared the short line. These serves often forced weak returns from his opponents, which Ruiz capitalized on with powerful drives down the sidelines. Despite Cook’s impressive lateral movement and ability to chase down shots, Ruiz’s increasing strength and shot velocity as the match progressed allowed him to secure a decisive victory, winning his second title with a score of 25-13.
In the Women’s Pro final, Jenny Qu competed against Melanie Garate in a rematch of their 2023 encounter, where Qu had claimed a 25-11 victory. This year, Qu once again demonstrated her dominance in the Women’s division, securing another convincing win with a score of 25-12. Qu’s consistent performance reaffirms her status as one of the best wallball competitors, winning her fourth singles title in the past five Nationals.
Check out all of the results from the tournament HERE.
Congrats to all of our National Champions:
Men’s Pro: Gustavo Ruiz Women’s Pro: Jenny Qu Men’s Pro Doubles: Joshua Garcia/Carlin Rosa Women’s Pro Doubles: Jessenia Garate/Melanie Garate Men’s B: Julio Carlos Women’s B: Lily Ye Men’s B Doubles: Joshua Rosa/Abir Rahman Women’s B Doubles: Lily Ye/Kathryn Li Men’s 40: Alex Rivera Men’s 40 Doubles: William Polanco/Ray Lopez Men’s 50: George Figueroa Men’s 50 Doubles: George Figueroa/Ray Lopez Men’s 60: Romulo Pozo Boys 19-under: David Khatri
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The 16th USHA Wallball National Championships are set for June 21-23 (Friday – Sunday) at Seaside Handball Courts (Asser Levy Park) in Coney Island (on West 5th St & Surf Ave). Tentative draws and start times are now available at the tournament’s site HERE.
Please Note:Draws and times may change up to the day of the event. Please double-check times.
Play begins early Friday, June 21 and goes through June 23, Sunday afternoon.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The USHA Junior Nationals hosted by the Inner City Handball Association will be at the Seaside Courts at Coney Island West 5th St. & Surf Ave. This tournament kicks off the unofficial start of summer by showcasing the talents of the best junior one-wall handball players in the country. Who will be the next Junior One-Wall National Champions?
This event uses the USHA RED 21 and WHITE 21 small balls.
Who should play in this event?
Any teen player interested in exploring tournament handball for the first time.
Any teen player interested in understanding the rules of handball.
Any teen player interested in future scholarships in the sport of handball.
Any teen player interested in volunteering for a community charity.
Any teen player interested in learning competition strategies.
Any teen player interested in meeting other teen players and having a fun weekend of handball.
For proof of age, participants must have a valid school ID including a date of birth or a combination of a birth certificate and school ID.
Eye protection is mandatory. To promote our rules and emphasis on player safety, one pair of FREE lensed eyeguards will be provided to each player.
Teens entered into this event are eligible to apply for USHA & ICHA 2024 Scholarships on the ICHA website.
To encourage Girl participation, ALL GIRLS EVENTS ARE FREE THIS EVENT.
Any questions please call the IHCA at: 718-703-7699
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Tyree Bastidas defeated his brother Jurell for the second straight year to claim his eighth one-wall pro singles title.
Tyree was dominant in game one, using his great serve and drive shots to win 21-7. Game two saw Jurell jump out to a fast start and early lead, but Tyree clawed his way back in the game. The brothers played even until the end. At 20-19, Tyree was serving for the match and hit a perfect ace just over the short line that Jurell didn’t even move for.
The victory gave Tyree the slam after winning the doubles with his brother. He continues to show that he is a force to be reckoned with one the one-wall court. You can watch the finals on our YouTube Channel HERE.
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BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Rain fell over the Coney Island Handball courts on Sunday and caused a long delay in play. Because of the rain and a few Saturday night matches needing to be pushed to Sunday morning due to the lack of daylight, the Pro Singles Final between Tyree and Jurell Bastidas had to be moved to Sunday, August 21st at Noon Eastern Time.
Despite the Men’s Pro singles not playing, championship Sunday was still filled with several great matches.
Eddie Perez kicked off the day with a strong victory over Milton Jones in the 50 singles finals. That was followed by William Polanco putting on a serve and shoot clinic to win the 40 singles final over Jai Ragoo. Ragoo later teamed with Joseph Kaplan to win the 40 doubles title.
Tony Roberts and George Figueroa continued their dominant run in Coney Island, knocking off Thomas Valenzuela and Oscar Dejesus in a close match in the 50 doubles.
The Pro Doubles saw Tyree and Jurell Bastidas square off against Allan Sanchez and William Polanco. The first game came down to the wire. Sanchez and Polanco lead 20-17, but despite having several serves to put the game away couldn’t convert and the Bastidas brothers squeaked out a 21-20 victory. Their momentum carried into the second game, and they were dominant from start to finish, defeating Sanchez and Polanco 21-2 to earn the Pro Doubles title.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Day two of the One-Wall Nationals was a hot one from start to finish. Players battled through the heat and played sensational Handball.
The Women’s Finals concluded Saturday morning with Danielle Daskalakis claiming victory over Sandy Ng 21-20, 21-14 in a thrilling match. At 20-20 in game one, Ng held serve to close out the game and just barely missed an ace serve down the left. The ball was just over the side line, giving Daskalakis the serve back where she closed it out.
Daskalakis and Ng later teamed up to win the Pro Women’s Doubles final over Tracy Davis and Melissa Sky, where they played flawlessly.
The Pro Men’s division played their quarterfinals and semifinals Saturday. Four-wall star Killian Carroll played a sensation match against Wallball champion Tywan Cook in what was the match of the day.
Cook crushed Carroll in game one, but Carroll found a serve that Cook had no answer for in game two, and forced a tiebreaker. It looked like Cook was going to win when he jumped out to a 7-2 lead, but Carroll rediscovered his serve and won the next 9 points of the match.
Tyree Bastidas cruised past PeeWee Castro in his quarterfinal, showing why he is the defending champion.
Tyree’s brother, Jurell Bastidas, played a nearly 3 hour match against Alvaro Rebaza that saw a plentitude of momentum swings. Bastidas was able to find the bottom board in the tiebreaker to take victory.
Saul Gonzales won the last quarterfinal, defeating Joshua Garcia. Gonzales just narrowly escaped game one 21-20, and looked to be in trouble after losing game two 21-6. He rediscovered his form in the tiebreaker to win 11-1.
The first semifinal was between Tyree Bastidas and Killian Carroll. Bastidas ran Carroll all over the court, and Carroll tracked down many tough balls, but Bastidas had too much power and easily advanced to the finals.
Jurell Bastidas looked equally as dominant against a tough Saul Gonzales in his semifinal. This game featured a lot of strong serves and power drives. The two played evenly in both games but Bastidas was able to close them both out 21-17.
The Men’s Pro Final between Tyree and Jurell Bastidas will take place tomorrow at 11:00am eastern time. It’s a rematch of the Speaker’s Cup final, which went to Jurell.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Day one of the tournament was met with overcast skies and sporadic sprinkles in the early part of the day, a welcomed addition to the New York heat. Afternoon came with sunny skies and high temperatures which the players battled through.
The first two rounds of the Men’s Pro division were played today, with most of the top seeds holding true. Brothers Tyree and Jurell Bastidas entered the tournament as the top two seeds and both looked great on the court today. The quarterfinals and semifinals of the Men’s Pro will be played tomorrow.
The quarterfinals and semifinals of the Women’s Pro division were also played today. Danielle Daskalakis looked dominant against Mikaila Esser in the first semifinal of the day, dazzling the crowd with one inch high kill shots and hop serves that Esser could not get a hand on. Daskalakis advanced 21-1, 21-4.
Sandy Ng and Tracy Davis squared off in the second semifinal, with Ng prevailing 21-4 and 21-6. Ng’s serves were impressive, and Davis could never get a feel for a strong return. Tomorrow’s final between Ng and Daskalakis looks to be an exciting one as both players are on top of their game.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — For the second consecutive year, the 61st USHA National One-Wall Championships has grown, adding more players and competitive divisions! The Women’s Pro divisions and a Women’s B singles division are a welcomed addition. Good luck to all the players competing in Coney Island this weekend!
Play begins Friday morning at the Seaside Courts, located at Surf Avenue and West 5th Street. Draws and start times are now available HERE.
Please note: start times and draws are subject to change up to the day of the first match. Remember to double check players’ times the day of the event.eight
Champion Tyree Bastidas (left) with runner-up and brother Jurell Bastidas (right)
The 60th USHA One-Wall Nationals resumed play this past week. All of the finals have now been completed after a rainy championship Sunday forced matches inside at the Zerega Indoor Handball Courts. Because of the limited courts space, many of the finals had to be played at a later date.
Among those finals that were played late was the Pro final between brothers Tyree and Jurell Bastidas. An amazing game one ended with Jurell just edging out his brother 21-20. Tyree raised his game to another level in game two, and took it easily 21-9. He kept that momentum rolling in the tie-breaker and held brother Jurell to just 2 points to win his seventh pro singles title!
Other national champions were crowned in several other divisions. In the 40 singles, Jai Ragoo took out one seed Joseph Kaplan 21-14, 21-15. Ragoo then teamed with Kaplan to win a thrilling 40 doubles title over Emilio Sierra and Robert Sostre 21-14, 16-21, 11-9.
In the 50 singles, Andy Rousseau outlasted Richard Mascia to win the championship 21-8, 21-18. Rousseau and his partner Jared Vale were denied the 50 doubles title by champs Tony Roberts and George Figueroa in a thrilling final that ended 17-21, 21-20, 11-2.
Congrats to all the champions! To view all of the results you can check out the tournament website by clicking HERE.
UPDATES FROM AUGUST 8
Pro Doubles finalists William Polanco and Allan Sanchez with champions Victor LoPierre and Tywan Cook.
The 60th USHA One-Wall Nationals took place August 6-8 in Brooklyn, and due to a rainy championship Sunday, matches had to be moved to the Zerega Indoor Handball Courts.
Because of the limited court space, many of the finals will be played later this week. The Pro Doubles division was able to finish, playing the semifinals and final. Tywan Cook and Victor LoPierre defeated William Polanco and Allan Sanchez 21-10, 21-14.
Brothers Tyree and Jurrell Bastidas will face off in the Pro Singles final this Saturday at 1:00 p.m. (Eastern).
In Pro Singles semifinal action (which began outdoors at Coney Island), Tyree stopped Killian Carroll’s march through the draw with a 21-8, 21-16 victory. This was Carroll’s second consecutive trip to the One-Wall semis.
In the other semifinals, Jurrell overcame a game-one blowout to outlast defending champion Tywan Cook in a tiebreaker, 5-21, 21-13, 11-5.
The remaining matches will be finished this week. See the upcoming upcoming finals schedule.
August 12, Thursday 3:30 p.m.
40 Doubles final: Joe Kaplan/ Jai Ragoo vs Robert Sostre/ Emilio Sierra
August 13, Friday 3:30 p.m.
40 Singles final: Joe Kaplan vs Jai Ragoo
August 14, Saturday
9:00 a.m.
50 Singles final: Andy Rousseau vs Richard Mascia
11:00 a.m.
50 Doubles final: Andy Rousseau/ Jared Vale vs Tony Roberts/ George Figueroa
1:00 p.m.
Pro Singles final: Tyree Bastidas vs Jurell Bastidas
Pro Singles finalists Timbo Gonzalez and Tywan Cook.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Play resumed early Sunday morning on the final day of the 13th USHA Wallball Nationals, after a full first day of matches with a few exciting finals. Nine of the twelve Wallball Nationals divisions would crown champions on our Championship Sunday.
The highly anticipated Pro Singles final of Timbo Gonzalez and Tywan Cook delivered another electrifying exhibition of skill and athleticism from the two top-seeded players. As the match neared the 45-minute mark, Cook pulled away and executed crucial kills and passes that skimmed the court lines to win his third singles crown over Gonzalez, 25-19.
Things looked bleak early on, as Gonzalez looked unbeatable for the first few points, cruising to an 8-0 lead. Cook withstood Gonzalez’s barrage of shots and would score his first point with a sharp angled “ace” serve to the left. As Cook began to crawl back into the match, frustration grew for Gonzalez, as he burned two failed appeals (USHA One-Wall / Wallball Rules give a player three failed appeals) over Cook’s first three points. Cook tied the score at 13-13 with a pass down the right line forcing Gonzalez to use a time out.
Once play resumed, Cook would take the lead; however, Gonzalez stayed within striking range as the two traded side outs before Cook pulled away leading 19-14. Gonzalez produced one more push, getting within two points from Cook, down 19-21. While Gonzalez began to wear down, Cook found an extra gear. After one amazing shot, even Gonzalez showed appreciation for his opponent with a fist bump. Gonzalez would prolong the match by fight off one match point, but a wide shot to the right gave Cook the serve where he would kill match point. With the win, Cook joins Gonzalez as the only two players to simultaneously hold wallball and one-wall small ball national titles in the same year.
Cook hardly had a moment to enjoy his win before jumping on the courts for the Pro Doubles with partner Eddy Troncoso. Cook /Troncoso endured a semifinal nail-biter against Joshua Garcia and Paul Yagual, 25-24. Their final opponents, Carlin Rosa and Mickey Osorio did the same, defeating the super team of Allan Sanchez and Carlos “Los” Pena by the same score, 25-24.
The championship match didn’t hold the same drama, Cook/Troncoso dropped Roas/Osorio 25-9; however, both teams treated the crowds to some more amazing handball to close the tournament while Cook earned the “slam.”
In Women’s Pro Doubles, sisters Jessenia and Melanie Garate held on to defeat previous champions, Ruby Lloyd and Birdiana Garcia, 25-12. The win marked the first National Doubles title for the Garate sister and completed the “slam” for Melanie.
In other action, William Polanco and Steve Robalino captured the Masters (40+) Doubles, defeating Ray Lopez and George Figueroa, 25-13. Gary Luk closed his B career with a “B Slam,” winning both the singles and doubles. In the Women’s B Doubles final, Lily Fung and Hope Valenica turned back Erica Mendez and Sabrina Roberts, 25-17. Michelle Wu captured the Women’s B Singles title the day before, edging Shantel Mena, 25-23. In the Men’s Golden (50+) Singles, Jose Olivencia stopped Ronald Beard, 25-12 to win his first National Singles title.
Finally, in the Men’s Golden (50+) Doubles, Darwin Lee and last-minute sub Peter Ostander held off a valiant effort from Tim Samuel and Javier Pellot to win the title, 25-23.
Thank you to all the players for entering while showing cooperation and patience to complete each day’s matches. Thank you to USHA Board Members, Jared Vale, Alethia Mendez and every one from the USHA One-Wall Committee for their outstanding work. Thanks to Shenta Pizarro for keeping the tournament desk humming and matches on time. And thank you to all tournament volunteers and refs. Be sure to read the full coverage and see some of the wonderful action photos in the Summer Issue of Handball Magazine.
It is amazing to finally hold tournaments once again. We missed all of you, and we’re already looking forward to next year!
See the 13th USHA Wallball Nationals results HERE.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The 13th USHA Wallball National Championships kicked off Saturday morning on Sea Breeze Courts in Coney Island, marking the first Nationals in 2021. Matches began at 8:00 A.M. sharp, since a full draw of 153 players meant a full day of play. Ideal conditions, player cooperation, volunteers and tournament staff kept matches rolling.
In the Women’s Pro Singles, the top two seeds, Jenny Qu and Melanie Garate blazed their way to a highly anticipated final. Garate made the most of her first final appearance (her sister Jessenia had made the final in 2018) winning her first national title over Qu, 25-14.
The first championship final played was the Men’s Masters (40+) Singles division between George Figueroa and Ray Lopez. The two legends put on a tremendous show with Figueroa holding on for a 25-24 win. Lopez, left everything on the court, making some tremendous gets and dives, but Figueroa executed all the crucial shots down to the wire to successfully defend his title from 2019.
