About Us
Tennis leads our way of life, and leisure.
Northwest Notes Tennis and Wine Camp... it's in the name! From first class instruction at the Gonzaga University indoor tennis complex to exclusive activities, wine tasting and fine dining, this experience has been cultivated to provide you with unique tastes of the Pacific Northwest. Our weekend program is comprised of:
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three half-days of expert tennis instruction
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one-to-four coach to player ratio
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daily one-of-a-kind regional activities and afternoon wine tastings
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nightly wine and dining with exclusive partners
From morning to night, your day is organized. All you have to do is come and play!
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The dream of Northwest Notes has been shaping for years. Owner and Tennis Director Taylor Bedilion grew up in California, where he originally developed a taste for both tennis and wine. After moving to the Pacific Northwest, his appreciation for the region's unique beauty and offerings has continued to grow and now includes not only the abundance of outdoor recreation but also the impressive local food and wine. Northwest Notes is the culmination of combining Taylor's passions for developing tennis skills of all levels with exposing more people to his favorite Washington wines and activities. Nothing else like it exists nationwide!
Meet Our Staff
Taylor Bedilion
Owner and Tennis Director
Taylor has been teaching in Spokane for 16 years as a Tennis Professional at the Wellness Center at Central Park (formerly The Spokane Club). Before coming to Spokane, Taylor had a successful playing and coaching career at Santa Clara University where he played both No. 1 Singles and No. 1 Doubles. Highlights as a student included being named to the WCC All-Conference Team and competing in the ITF All-American Tournament. After a rewarding playing campaign, he continued at Santa Clara as the Men's Tennis Assistant Coach for two years. Taylor eventually moved to Spokane with his wife, Robin, and continued his coaching profession specializing in adult and tournament-level junior programs at the Spokane Club. He still competes at the regional and national levels in men's 5.0+ and Open tournaments. When he's not on the court either teaching or playing, Taylor enjoys everything the Pacific Northwest has to offer — fishing, hunting, skiing, gardening, and of course, wine!
Instructor
DJ Gurule
DJ is in his 20th year as a head tennis coach at Gonzaga University, where he has seen profound growth of the program. After many years coaching the women's team, he took over the men's program in 2021, and has led the Zags to win double-digit matches in eight seasons, including five of the six highest win totals in the last 20 years. In the past three seasons under DJ, the Zags have broken program records in team winning percentage, individual singles wins, doubles pairs wins and more. DJ originally started his coaching career at Mountain View High School in Bend, Oregon. In addition to his collegiate experience, DJ has spent time working in tennis clubs throughout the Pacific Northwest including the Spokane Racquet Club (where he served as co-director), Eagle Crest Resort in Redmond, Oregon and Broken Top in Bend. DJ's roots in the Northwest run deep as he played collegiate tennis at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, earning four letters for the Lutes. He now resides in Spokane with his wife Katy and their two daughters.
Cesar Vargas Rodriguez
Instructor
Cesar has been the Assistant Coach for the Gonzaga men's tennis team for six seasons, where he continues cultivating the Zags' success both on the court, in the classroom and in the community. During Cesar's time with the team, GU has been awarded ITA All-Academic Team honors as well as ITA Community Service Awards. He has also helped the Bulldogs land top recruiting classes in the nation, helping to sign highly ranked players from Mexico, Canada, Austria and California. Cesar is a veteran coach at the Division I level, spending three seasons prior to joining Gonzaga as the Associate Head Coach at Elon University in North Carolina and one season as Assistant Coach/Interim Head Coach with Georgia State. His own successful playing career began as a college student at Nebraska, where Cesar served as co-captain of the Huskers while competing in the No. 2 Singles and No. 2 Doubles positions. Cesar is a certified teaching professional by both the USPTA and the Professional Tennis Registry.
Natalie Pluskota-Hamberg
Instructor
Natalie is entering her third year as head coach for the Gonzaga women's team after four years serving as their Assistant Coach. She has helped multiple Zags garner all-conference recognition, as well as cultivating academic success which led to two ITA All-Academic Team honors plus multiple individual awards. During the 2017-18 season, Natalie ushered the Zags to a second-place finish in the WCC for the second straight year and was named the task Performance ITA Assistant Coach of the Year by the ITA. Her first season with the team was the most successful in Zags history, where they reached the WCC Championships final for the first time ever. Natalie came to Spokane after playing in college at the University of Tennessee, followed by a four-year pro career and two years of teaching experience. At UT, Natalie earned four All-American honors, reached three NCAA Doubles Tournament semi-finals plus one championship match. She also earned three All-SEC first Team or Second Team awards, Freshman All-SEC Team honors, and four doubles titles. Her professional career garnered world rankings on both the doubles and singles courts. Natalie then served as a tennis pro in Bridgehampton, NY before joining the Zags in the Northwest.
Caitlin Williams
Instructor
Caitlin is kicking off her second year as the women's assistant coach for the Gonzaga women's team following two years as head coach for the University of Tennessee Martin Skyhawks. Her former team progressively improved under her leadership and clenched several notable wins in the Ohio Valley Conference, including back-to-back league victories and the best single-season winning percentage in the OVC since 2018. A Knoxville, TN native, Caitlin played for the Lady Vols where she complied a 57-35 career doubles record and a 29-25 singles mark. She rose as high as No. 9 in the national doubles ranking and concluded her illustrious collegiate career by playing in the NCAA National Championships. Caitlin is now passionate about developing student-athletes at Gonzaga, both on and off the court, and is excited to grow with her new team.
Meet Our Partners
