Meet the Team
Ray Wendeln
Ray has been playing tennis for 30 years and pickleball for the last 5 years. Ray began playing tennis when he was little after his dad got him a tennis racket for his birthday. His dad would take him to a local park and high school to play, which then led Ray to playing high school tennis and junior USTA tournaments in Ohio where he grew up. Ray currently plays in a USTA league for fun and has a 4.5 NTRP rating. Ray also taught junior and adult tennis lessons in high school and college. Ray is a U.S. Racquet Stringers Association Master Racquet Technician and has strung racquets as part of the Wilson and Head International Stringing Teams at top professional tennis tournaments including the U.S. Open and Roland Garros. Ray was recognized as Tennis Industry’s 2017 Stringer of the Year. His passion for the industry and customer service led him to create and develop his own tennis and pickleball pro shop, Ray’s Rackets. Outside of tennis, Ray enjoys reading, shooting, visiting his niece/nephew, and traveling. Ray also has a BS in Mathematics from ASU. In 2022, as part of the Wilson Stringing Team Ray strung Rafa Nadal’s Rackets for the tournament(He did win that year).
Current Tennis Racket:
Wilson Blade 98 16x19 v9
String and Tension:
Yonex PolyTour Rev 125 @ 46/44
Grip and/or Overgrip:
Wilson Pro Overgrip
Dampener:
Ladybug
Shoes:
Babolat Propulse Fury 3
Gail Selander
Gail began playing tennis and pickleball 9 years ago after moving to Arizona from Washington State. Gail currently has a 3.5 NTRP rating and plays recreationally in the West Walley Women’s Tennis League. Gail is also a volleyball and basketball player, having played in both high school and college. In addition to working at Ray’s Rackets, Gail also does business consulting specifically with crisis helpline organizations to ensure they are utilizing best practices. Outside of tennis and pickleball, Gail enjoys travelling, hiking, spending time with family and friends, and hanging out with her 13 year old chocolate lab, Pickett.
Current Tennis Racket:
Wilson Clash 100
String and Tension:
NRG 16 @ 53 lbs.
Grip and/or Overgrip:
Head Hydrosorb Tour
Dampener:
Ray’s Rackets Long Dampener
Current Pickleball Paddle:
Diadem Warrior
Grip and/or Overgrip:
Gamma Honeycomb
Shoes:
K-Swiss Express Light Pickleball
Michele Holt
Michele has been playing tennis for over 30 years and coached high school tennis for 25 years where she made over 21 trips to regionals with her players and had several players reach the state level. Her passion for tennis started when she watched Wimbledon on TV when she was younger and told her parents that she wanted to play the sport. Michele then took lessons which became the catalyst for playing high school tennis and in many USTA leagues including a state qualifier. Previously, Michele had a 4.5 NTRP rating, was a certified tennis instructor with the Dennis Van Der Meer Tennis Academy and has an extensive career in teaching tennis including the Julian Krinsky Tennis Academy and the NJTL Camp in Bloomington, IN. Outside of tennis, Michele enjoys riding ATV’s, hiking and travelling.
Current Tennis Racket:
Head Extreme Team
String and Tension:
NRG 17 @ 56 lbs.
Grip and/or Overgrip:
Head Prime Tour Overgrip
Dampener:
Wilson Shock
Current Pickleball Paddle:
Holbrook Pro Power 14mm E
Grip and/or Overgrip:
Holbrook Standard
Shoes:
New Balance 796 Blue
Lucy Del Carlo
Lucy is a high school student and has been playing tennis for the past 7 years. Lucy currently plays on the varsity tennis team and plays in USTA tournaments. Lucy’s parents (and the tennis outfits!) inspired Lucy to start playing tennis. After finishing high school, Lucy hopes to go out of state to college, play on the tennis team and attend dental school. An interesting fact about Lucy is that she has a twin brother.
Current Tennis Racket:
Head Extreme MP
String and Tension:
PolyTour Pro 125 @ 53 lbs.
Grip and/or Overgrip:
Wilson Pro Overgrip
Dampener:
Puffer Fish
Shoes:
Nike Vapor (white w/black)
Joe Gallagher
Joe has been playing pickleball recreationally for the past 5 years after being invited to play with friends at a local resort that they snuck into. Joe got hooked playing on the makeshift pickleball court and using a wood paddle. Joe is a retired First Responder and is an Arizona native. Outside of pickleball, Joe enjoys hunting and fishing.
Current Pickleball Paddle:
CRBN 3X and Proton Series 3
Shoes:
New Balance 796v4
John Campbell
John has been playing tennis for 40 years and pickleball for the last 5 years and currently has a 5.0 NTRP tennis rating and a 4.5 pickleball rating. John spent 30 years as a Director of Tennis, is a former college Tennis Coach, and is a RSPA Elite Pro for tennis and pickleball. John also played tennis for D1 college Montana State. Outside of tennis and pickleball, John enjoys playing golf.
Current Tennis Racket:
Wilson Shift 99
String and Tension:
Eco Power/NXT @ 52 lbs.
Grip and/or Overgrip:
Wilson Pro Overgrip
Current Pickleball Paddle:
Selkirk Luxx
Grip and/or Overgrip:
Wilson Pro Overgrip
Shoes:
New Balance X CT Rally