Team
Dedication. Expertise. Passion.
Please contact the office at 310.373.6326 or info@pvtennsiclub.com
Interested in Lessons? Please fill out the Lesson Inquiry form
Dana Smith
General Manager
Dana joined PVTC in 2020 and became the General Manager in 2022. A native of Southern California, Dana started her tennis journey as a competitive junior player at Mar Vista Park, she went on to play college tennis, and competed in the Maccabiah Games in Israel, where she won the bronze medal. After 10 years of being a tennis professional at Mar Vista Park, Dana went on to be the Tennis Manager and Teaching Pro at Hillcrest Country Club in Los Angeles, CA, from 1998-2015. Dana is a USPTA Certified Professional and is currently playing in the Division 2 Marine League.
Nate Bly
Assistant General Manager
Nate was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, and moved to PV in 2013. Nate has been at PVTC since 2018, started part-time while attending college at SMC, and now is the Assistant General Manager.
Mike Wojnarowicz
Director of Tennis
Mike grew up playing tennis in Honolulu, Hawaii and was a top-ranked junior player. Mike played for Loyola Marymount University and graduated with a Bachelors in Sociology followed by a Masters in Sports Management at the University of San Francisco. He worked for the Tennis Channel for several years and was the Junior Tennis Director at the Oahu Club in Honolulu.
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USPTA Elite Professional
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Wilson Advisory Staff
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Former #1 player at LMU
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Ranked 35th in NCAA DI (Doubles)
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Most individual singles wins in LMU history (82)
John Carrizosa
Head Tennis Professional
John has been with PVTC since 2012 and enjoys teaching a wide range of players. His students have included an NCAA doubles champion, a member of the U.S. Junior Davis Cup team, nationally ranked juniors, countless Marine League players, and 10 and under QuickStart Tennis. He teaches the Modern Tennis Method which simplifies the game and accelerates the learning process, enabling students to improve at a quicker pace.
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USPTA Elite Professional
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Tecnifibre Advisory Staff
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USPTA District Pro of the Year 2001
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Wilson Racquet Sports Pro of the Year 2008
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Wilson National Pro of 2019
Ken Shoji
Director of Junior Tennis
Ken was born and raised in Torrance, CA. Starting tennis at a young age, he competed in junior tournaments in Southern California all throughout his junior years. He has been coaching since 2004 and has experience coaching and playing at international tennis academies in other countries such as Australia, China, and Japan before joining the Palos Verdes Tennis Club coaching staff in 2012.
Certifications:
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USPTA
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Yonex Brand Ambassador
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Yonex Scouting Team
- USPTA 2017 District Pro of the Year
Valerie Ogawa
Director of Pickleball
Valarie grew up playing junior tennis in the South Bay area. She competed in many of the SCTA local junior tournaments. Her stand-out play has recently helped PVTC advance to the D-1 level of Marine League. Valarie has a smooth back court game but is known for her doubles anticipation and aggressive netplay. She is our Director of Pickleball.
Certifications:
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USPTA
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IPTPA and PPR Certified
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Wilson Advisory Staff
Taylor Gorretta
Pickleball Professional
Taylor was born and raised in Washington State where she first learned about and played pickleball. She played volleyball at Occidental College and moved to California permanently in March of 2022. She joined PVTC in February of 2023 and is eager to continue growing the pickleball program for people of all ages! She is a PPR-certified instructor and is available for private lessons during the week or on weekends
Katherine Odell
Tennis Professional
Elaine Dodson
Tennis Professional
A native of the South Bay, Elaine grew up playing tennis at West End Racquet Club in Torrance. As a junior, Elaine played competitive USTA tournaments and played on her high school team, where she played #1 doubles. Elaine is an all-around athlete, competing as a professional beach volleyball player and coach. Elaine started her tennis coaching career at Manhattan Country Club where she was coaching kids programs and summer camps. Elaine’s energy on the court is incredible and is going to be a huge help in the junior program.
Rachel Manasse
Tennis Professional
Rachel joined PVTC in 2022. Prior to PVTC, Rachel was the USC Women's Assistant Tennis Coach and the Head Men's and Women's Tennis Coach for Occidental College. Rachel grew up in Manhattan Beach and went on to play at Long Beach State University. She also coaches her sister, Maegan, who is on the pro tour and has been ranked 327 in the world. Rachel is available for private lessons on weekdays before or after the Junior Academy and on Saturdays after 11.
Ted White
Tennis Professional
Erik Kortland
Tennis Professional
A graduate of Loyola Marymount University, Erik has an extensive coaching career that started at Riviera Country Club, where he was the Head of Elite Player Development. After much success as a private coach, Erik was hired in 2013 by the USTA Player Development as a National Junior Development Coach, where he was directly developing USA’s very best prospects and creating programming for all juniors.
In 2016 Erik coached Amanda Animisova to her first Junior French Open Final and first Grand Slam win at the US Open. As the Junior Fed Cup coach, Erik took Team USA to win the world title in 2017 and 2018, with the team of Coco Gauff, Alexa Noel, and Connie Ma. In 2017, Erik coached Claire Liu to the Junior French Open Final and Wimbledon Championship. He also coached Whitney Osuigwe to a Junior French Open Championship, and Ann Li to a Wimbledon Final.
In 2018, Erik was promoted to Lead National coach and was in charge of all programming at the USTA Training Center in Carson, CA. Erik is currently coaching some of the most highly-ranked juniors in Southern California and will be coaching the Challenger and High-Performance Groups at PVTC. Erik is available for private lessons and you can reach him directly at (310) 384-5940
