Major League Pickleball Daytona: Full Recap of What You Missed

Your full recap of the MLP's weekend in Daytona.

The excitement was palpable as the 2023 Major League Pickleball continued with its second event, MLP Daytona Beach by Margaritaville. The bustling Pictona facility in Daytona Beach, which has already seen action-packed APP and PPA tour events this year, served as the perfect stage for the unique team-based competition that MLP offers.

Team Updates and Shuffles

The Challenger division squads have experienced a few small changes in their team lineups. Seven Challenger teams acquired new players to boost their prospects, while the Premier teams maintained their rosters and sought to recover from January's outcomes.

Premier Division Highlights

Only one team emerged from the group stage unscathed – the California BLQK Bears. Despite Seattle's superior Net-games record, the Bears moved ahead of the Ben Johns-led Seattle team.

Group B: The Ultimate Showdown

Group B featured last month's finalists NY Hustlers, Anna Leigh Waters-led New Jersey 5's, and SoCal Hard Eights, who welcomed back their top draft pick Riley Newman for the event. Although Newman was the highest-rated player of the weekend, he couldn't shift the balance of power. The two playoff teams from Mesa (NY and NJ) advanced to the next stage.

Los Angeles Mad Drops and Seattle Pioneers Face Off

The Mesa Champions, Los Angeles Mad Drops, barely made it to the playoffs without Thomas Wilson. However, they couldn't reach the finals, succumbing to the Seattle Pioneers in the semifinals. Meanwhile, the top-seeded team BLQK Bears defeated the #1 female player in the sport, Waters, in their semifinal matchup, securing their spot in the finals.

Seattle Pioneers Triumph in the Premier Division

In a thrilling Premier division final, Seattle won both gender doubles matches. Ben Johns and Etta Wright teamed up for a commanding 21-14 victory over Federico Staksrud and Andrea Koop, sealing the win for Seattle and avenging their group stage loss, marking Johns' first return to the MLP winner's circle since November 2021 and the first win for his teammates.

Challenger Division Recap

Much like the Premier division, only one team in the Challenger division remained unbeaten during the Thursday group stage: the MLP Mesa Challenger-winning Bay Area Breakers. Led by powerhouses Pablo Tellez and Christian Alshon, the Breakers continued their dominating streak.

Challenger Division Showdown

The tension was palpable as the group stage of the Challenger Division came to a close. Seven teams finished with an impressive 2-1 record, but only five were able to advance to the semifinals. Shockingly, one of the favourites, the Mesa MLP finalist Utah Black Diamonds, failed to make the cut.

The Dallas Pickleball Club, on the other hand, made some significant changes in the shuffle draft, and it paid off big time. They claimed the second seed after finishing the group stage with the largest Net games margin.

Columbus and Miami Make a Comeback

The Columbus and Miami teams have made their way into the playoffs in Daytona, after previously finishing 0-3 in Mesa, all thanks to the strategic moves they made during the shuffle draft.

Shuffle draft, for those who may not know, is a unique aspect of pickleball where teams can shuffle their rosters before each tournament.

Meanwhile, the DC Pickleball team and the AZ Drive didn't fare so well, despite their own attempts at shuffling their team. The AZ Drive, in particular, suffered greatly, with two of their male players ranking a dismal 46th and 48th out of all Challenger players in the event.

Bay Area VS Dallas

As the playoffs unfolded, it became clear that Bay Area and Dallas were forces to be reckoned with. These top two seeds managed to stave off the feisty competition from Miami and Chicago in the semi-finals, securing their spots in the much-anticipated championship. 

In an electrifying Challenger final, the teams started off by splitting the gender doubles matches. However, the Bay Area Breakers swiftly shifted gears and clinched both mixed doubles matchups, ultimately seizing their second consecutive title.

For more information on the tournament, click here.