FINAL FOUR: Surfers Heading to D1 Nationals
- Editor
- May 6
- 4 min read
Updated: May 6
The San Diego Surfers have returned to Nationals, joining the Final Four teams: NOVA, Utah Vipers, and Life University, to compete for the National Championship.
The Surfers are off to Chicago this May 15 - 17, and they couldn't be more excited to compete on the National stage. This opportunity means everything to the team and they'd love your support in getting there.
Travel, lodging, and food add up quickly so if you're able to donate, it truly makes a difference for every player on this team. If you've ever cheered us on, played with us, or just love what they're building, this is your chance to be part of the journey.
As a thank you to our supporters, each donation will qualify you for a chance to win a Surfer's hat in a raffle. Donations exceeding $50 will earn you an additional entry (e.g., $50 results in 2 entries, $100 results in 3 entries, and so on). Drawings will occur when the Surfers reach their goals of $1,000, $3,000, $5,000, $8,000, $10,000, and $12,000.
Pacific Super Regionals Recap
On Friday, the San Diego Surfers faced Seattle in the semi-final match, a team known for their strong forward pack and set pieces. The Surfers elevated their performance, showcasing their defensive prowess by limiting Seattle to just 5 points, ultimately winning with a score of 35 - 5. The offensive effort was a team endeavor, with tries scored by Ashley Torrecillas, Natalie Figueroa, Sheree Collins, Julia Buescher, and Kayla Walker, while conversions were made by Natalie Figueroa and Kaylee Westmoreland.
On Sunday, they played against the All Blues, who were coming off a high from a comeback victory against Santa Monica, where they overcame a 3-try deficit at the 60-minute mark and scored 5 more times in the last 20 minutes, ending with a score of 40 - 57. The Surfers had previously lost to the All Blues in a friendly match earlier in the season, so they approached this game with caution. Despite the high winds, the Surfers maintained a fast tempo, scoring within the first 5 minutes. They demonstrated their defensive skills by keeping the All Blues out of the try zone for most of the first half and maintaining control of the game. Offensively, it was again a team effort, with tries from Amy Verdonik, Ashley Torrecillas, Natalie Figueroa, Sheree Collins, Kyla Letoi, Julia Buescher, and Kaylee Westmoreland, while conversions were shared by Natalie Figueroa and Kaylee Westmoreland. The Surfers concluded the weekend by qualifying for Nationals with a 48 - 22 victory.
MVPs for the weekend:
Kaylee Westmoreland
Cathy Cai
Julia Buescher
Natalie Figueroa
Nationals Preview
With one of the hardest paths to get a qualifying bid to go to Nationals, the Surfers are one of the four teams out of approximately 30 D1 Senior Adult Women's Clubs to compete at this stage. In one of the only fully D1 leagues across the country (some teams compete in D1/D2 hybrid seasons, some have automatic regional bids) and a 2 day match weekend against historic top regions in the Pacific Regionals Championship, the Surfers were able to go undefeated in the regular season and beat out previous D1 National Champion clubs: Seattle and All Blues.
Going into Nationals the Surfers face off again with Utah Vipers who they played in last year's Pacific Super Regionals. The Surfers lost by only 3 points and Utah went on to win the National Championship. This year Utah Vipers competed in a tight contest with Chicago Northshore in the Northern Super Regionals where they were able to hold off a comeback from Chicago Northshore with three yellow cards on Utah's side to a final score of 31 - 24. Utah Vipers are coming with a lot of momentum as the reigning National Champion and huge size differential. The first round for the Surfers will be a tough one, but they are coming prepared to take on the challenge.
On the other side of the bracket, NOVA won the Atlantic Super Regionals that was comprised of the top 4 teams from their regular season pool where they played Saturday semi-final and Sunday final. NOVA lost to Philly in the regular season but were able to come out on top against Philly 36 - 24. NOVA has consistently been on the National stage and have knocked off the Surfers in the first round in 2024 and lost to the Surfers in the championship in 2023. NOVA will face off against the youthful Life University, a college/graduated players program that have access to a plethora of resources in terms of coaching, athletic trainers, gym access, recovery, fields, and practice 5x a week together compared to the rest of D1 Senior Adult Women clubs that fund everything theirselves, pay to play, and take time out of their work schedule to be able to practice at least 2x a week together. Life also came out of the Gulf Coast Super Regionals and beat on the sHARCs, who they've already played in the regular season in one final match to get the qualifying bid.
The stakes are high whether NOVA or Life University comes out of their side of the bracket. If NOVA wins, it's a chance for the Surfers to get their 2024 rematch and continue the rivalry between these two clubs. If Life University wins it will be a question of youth vs experience and what it means to be a D1 club player.
Come join the Surfers in a send off at 6PM Monday, May 11th at Little Bird Brewing in North Park. They will also be hosting a watch party at 1PM Friday, May 15.
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