Photos by James Glover II / Star staff Clara Barclay, 66, left, gives 90-year-old Alicia Chaffee a high-five during their game at the Ojai Valley Inn. Chaffee is a longtime volunteer at the Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament, where she'll be this year, serving cookies in the Tea Tent.

James Glover II / Star staff 4/22/8 OJAI- At 90-years-old Alicia Chaffee, still plays tennis twice a week at the Ojai Valley Inn. Chaffee is a longtime volunteer at the Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament, where she'll be again this year, serving cookies in the tea tent.

Alicia Chaffee is a lifeblood of the Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament.

The 108th edition of the historic competition begins today and, as usual, the event's success will rely on an army of more than 500 volunteers. Few match the tournament pedigree or spunk of the 90-year-old Chaffee, a former line caller — back when the tournament relied on volunteers for that role — who still plays tennis twice a week.

Chaffee, of Ojai, can be found today inside the Tea Tent, passing out freshly squeezed orange juice, tea and cookies and spreading good will.

Tennis greats Arthur Ashe, Pete Sampras and Lindsay Davenport may have etched their names in the tournament's lore, but spirited personalities like Chaffee's are what truly make the tournament unique, organizers say.

"She is an absolutely gorgeous woman," said friend and fellow volunteer Binnie Moss. "People like Alicia, it's what makes The Ojai The Ojai."

A tradition-rich tournament, The Ojai will feature its typical large number of participants (more than 1,000) competing on dozens of public and private residential courts throughout the Ojai Valley, Ventura and Oxnard.

The four-day event concludes Sunday with the Pacific 10 Conference and Open finals.

The epicenter is Libbey Park in Ojai, where volunteer and citrus farmer Tony Thacher of Friend's Ranch delivers crates of oranges each morning by 6 so players and spectators can sip fresh juice amid the towering oaks, accompanied by the chorus of tennis balls being peppered across the courts.

"College tennis, like college basketball, is as good as it gets," said Thacher, 67, whose great-uncle William L. Thacher, an NCAA doubles champion, founded the tournament in 1896 to promote amateur tennis in the state. "There is a real hospitality side of The Ojai that you don't get at Pauley Pavilion or Dodger Stadium."

Spectators can rub shoulders with competitors. Competitors can rub shoulders with returning players.

"At The Ojai, everyone gets to mingle," Thacher said.

Thousands of spectators are expected to fill the Ojai Valley to watch the finest in amateur tennis — all provided by a tennis club with no courts of its own and no paid employees.

That's where the likes of Chaffee are indispensable, said local attorney Sam Eaton, this year's publicity chairman. "Volunteers like her are how we keep the lore alive," said Eaton, who first volunteered in 1962 as a student at nearby Thacher School.

Every year, the tournament advertises for volunteers, who provide everything from trash cleanup to designing trophies. And every year, newcomers arrive because they hear about the tournament from an enthusiastic volunteer, Eaton said.

"Honestly, we keep the tournament going by word of mouth and the tireless efforts by our dedicated volunteers," he said. "No way we could do it without them."

Chaffee couldn't think of anywhere else she'd rather be. "It's just fun," said Chaffee, who picked up a racket at 58 and at 90 still hits a mean backhand. "Being active, it's good for the soul."

Years ago, she used to call lines during matches. She got socked in the eye once. "It gave me a big ol' black eye," she recalled with a laugh.

"The players, they can serve like you can't believe."

The complimentary orange juice, from locally grown crops, was first offered to players and spectators in the early 1930s. The tea was introduced at the turn of the century and today is served in china, the cups and saucers hand-washed and dried each day.

"We served strawberries and cream one year," Chaffee said. "The tournament, it's just filled with such great tradition."

Alan Rains is a past president of the tournament, including in 2000, when the event turned 100 years old. He got involved as a teenager, driving players to courts at private homes when most of the competitors stayed with local families.

"I thought it was a big deal to drive the players to their matches, particularly the girls, of course," said Rains, the third-generation owner of Rains, a specialty department store in Ojai.

Rains transported Hollywood starlet Judy Garland one year. His sons are now involved.

"I shake my head every year," he said. "The logistics are just incredible. It's amazing how it is pulled off year after year."

Joe De Vito, Ojai's former mayor and a volunteer for 40 years, always gets a kick out of the reactions of first-time players who have no idea what to expect when they drive down rural Highway 33 into downtown Ojai.

The popularity of tennis in general has waned a bit in recent years, he said, but The Ojai remains a popular destination.

"Tennis players love to come to The Ojai," De Vito said.

"There's world-class competition and you're playing under the oak trees and sunshine.

"At noontime you can hear the chimes (at the Post Office) going off, and occasionally you might have to stop while a squirrel runs across a court. You can't replicate that."