Team Georgia turned in another strong showing at the 2026 Southern Ozaki Junior Cup, finishing second in the Gold Group following four days of team competition September 17–20 at the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College.
The Southern Ozaki Junior Cup brings together teams from all nine states in the USTA Southern Section — Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee — for a unique weekend of singles and doubles competition.
Georgia entered this year’s event with an impressive history at the Ozaki Cup, having captured the championship 29 times in the previous 32 years.
Competition began Thursday and Friday with the nine states divided into three round-robin groups. Georgia was paired with Arkansas and Tennessee and came out strong, defeating Arkansas 31-5 and Tennessee 28-8.
Those victories gave Georgia first place in its group and a spot in the Gold Group alongside North Carolina and South Carolina for the championship portion of the event.
Georgia opened Gold Group play against South Carolina and earned a 22-14 victory. That set up a matchup with North Carolina, who defeated Georgia 25-11 to capture the 2026 Southern Ozaki Junior Cup. Georgia finished as the Gold Group runner-up.
While Team Georgia was certainly disappointed not to bring the Cup home, the players competed hard throughout the weekend, supported one another and represented Georgia with outstanding sportsmanship.
Two Georgia players, Daishin Reddy and Jacob Nall, completed the entire competition undefeated.
Sam Calvert was selected as the recipient of the Rick Davison Most Valuable Player Award, USTA Georgia’s annual honor recognizing the Team Georgia player who exemplifies outstanding play, leadership, sportsmanship and team spirit throughout the Southern Ozaki Junior Cup.
Georgia also had to make an adjustment during the weekend when Boys 12s player Srivihaan Damisetty was unable to continue competing because of a shoulder issue. Logan Marsico, one of Team Georgia’s designated alternates, stepped into the Boys 12s lineup for the remainder of the event. Although alternates were selected for every age group, Logan was the only alternate called into action after competition had begun.
Team Georgia was led by coaches Marley Woods, Alex Shusis, Marianna Taylor and Kurt Clemmons, who did an outstanding job guiding and supporting the players throughout the weekend.
The 2026 event also featured a brand-new Team Georgia home base.
USTA Georgia debuted a new tent designed around a Georgia peach theme in honor of the Peach State. Created by USTA Georgia marketing team members Lindsey Davila and Mary Johnson, the tent quickly became a popular gathering place for players, coaches and families throughout the tournament.
The shade was especially welcome during what proved to be the hottest Ozaki Cup Team Georgia has experienced. Friday brought a high of 98°F, followed closely by 97°F on Saturday, making hydration, shade and support between matches especially important.
The Team Georgia parents played a big part in keeping everyone going throughout the weekend, continually bringing snacks and drinks to the tent and making sure the players had what they needed between matches. They also jumped in wherever help was needed, including assisting with breaking down the tents at the conclusion of the event. Thank you, parents!
Johnson returned to the tournament Sunday to photograph the final day of competition and even helped load the USTA Georgia van as the team packed up. Coaches and parents pitched in as well.
That kind of support is part of what makes the Southern Ozaki Junior Cup so special. Players who spend much of the year competing individually — and often against one another — come together for one weekend to compete for their state, cheer for their teammates and experience junior tennis as a team.
Georgia’s last Ozaki Cup loss also came against North Carolina in 2022. Although the 2026 team did not leave Rome with the championship trophy, it finished as the Gold Group runner-up and continued a long tradition of strong Team Georgia performances at the event.
Most importantly, the players competed with effort, class, and pride in representing the Peach State.
A special thank you also goes to the USTA Southern tournament staff for their hard work throughout the weekend and for making the 2026 Southern Ozaki Junior Cup such a memorable event for the players, coaches and families.
Congratulations to the players, coaches, alternates, and families of 2026 Team Georgia on a memorable weekend of tennis and teamwork.
2026 Team Georgia Roster
Boys 12s
Daishin Reddy
Jacob Nall
Srivihaan Damisetty
Logan Marsico — alternate who entered the lineup during the event
Girls 12s
Everly Cogdell
Mila Barnes
Emersyn Crocker
Boys 14s
Ryan Barr
Ved Gupta
Dan Zinchenko
Girls 14s
Colleen Cunnane
Violet Hall
Chase Avery Ericson
Boys 16s
Maddox Iliescu
Sam Calvert
Kalvin Seo
Girls 16s
Madeline Hunt
Katelyn Seagraves
Cydney Crocker
Boys 18s
Kush Bhandari
Zachary Szymanski
Asher Negandhi
Girls 18s
Elle Groslimond
Oleksandra Revina
Whitney Burke
Team Georgia Coaches
Marley Woods
Alex Shusis
Marianna Taylor
Kurt Clemmons
