Taking part in of their third straight weekend, the stress was mounting for the St. Louis Shock to win an occasion within the 2026 Main League Pickleball (MLP) season.
Effectively, the stress is off. They received in dominating style whereas additionally internet hosting the occasion in St. Louis at Chaifetz Enviornment, on the Saint Louis College campus.
The Shock completed third in Dallas, second in Columbus, after which simply received the entire thing in St. Louis. The loopy half is that St. Louis is now 60% of the way in which by their common season. They solely play St. Pete, the Mid-Season Match, and Orlando from right here on out.
How did the Shock do it?
They received all 4 pool play matches, solely dropping two video games the complete weekend. These two losses got here within the fourth sport of two totally different matches the place that they had already secured a regulation victory by successful the primary three video games.
The finals was a rematch of a pool play match from MLP Dallas, towards the LA Mad Drops. In Dallas, the Mad Drops received in a Dreambreaker and Ben Johns performed among the greatest pickleball I’ve seen him play within the final couple of years.
The Shock had totally different plans in St. Louis. They got here out quick and livid and received girls’s 11-1. Then Hayden and Gabe made fast work of Ben and Max, 11-3. Anna and Hayden saved the momentum going and beat Ben and Jade, 11-5 for the clear 3-0 sweep.
The Shock now have 58 common season standings factors (1st) and are averaging 19.33 factors per occasion, good for second place, behind the Mad Drops.
The Mad Drops End Second
OVerall, the Mad Drops additionally had a heckuva occasion, successful all 5 pool play matches, 3-1. The one two video games Ben Johns misplaced had been within the ultimate on Tremendous Sunday. The most important difficulty the Mad Drops walked away from St. Louis is their girls. Catherine and Jade have been elite for thus lengthy, however they went simply 2-4 in St. Louis. Was this only a hiccup or an indication of issues to come back?
Pool Play Recap
Pool A Notes:
- The Bay Space Breakers had been with out Pablo Tellez all weekend and weren’t capable of handle a match win. The most important vibrant spot for the Breakers was Mya Bui and Ella Yeh defeating Jessie Irvine and Kaitlyn Christian 11-6.
- Talking of the Bouncers – the vibes are formally off. The Bouncers can’t appear to seek out a lot chemistry, however are nonetheless teetering on the playoff cusp.
- Jack Sock is enjoying impressed pickleball for Orlando and I’m right here for it – the Squeeze girls are going to should be higher than 1-4 in upcoming occasions for this staff to essentially have an opportunity.
Pool B Notes:
- Regardless of just lately buying and selling for Alix Truong, the Flames solely managed one match win and left the St. Louis occasion with zero standings factors.
- The Exhausting 8s performed of their first occasion and undoubtedly went by some rising pains – Meghan Dizon, their highest drafted participant, completed forty seventh out of 49 gamers and went 1-9 in her video games.
- The Evening Owls earned eight standings factors and have a little bit of a conundrum on their arms – they determined to begin Braden Jacobson in males’s on Tremendous Sunday, as a substitute of Blaine Hovenier – do they stick to this, or does Hovenier return into the lineup?
- Brooklyn additionally performed of their first occasion of the yr and guess what occurred… Yep – Riley Newman damage his foot and missed the final two days. Chris Haworth stuffed in admirably, going 4-4 in his video games, and helped clinch third place on Tremendous Sunday with Jackie Kawamoto, defeating Jack Sock and Lacy Schneemann when the stress was on.
Occasion Standings
General Crew Standings
Up subsequent on the MLP schedule is MLP Austin, which begins at 9am on Thursday (I do know, as a result of the primary match of the occasion is the Black Bears vs. the Miami Pickleball Membership and we play at 9am for some ungodly cause).
