Major League Pickleball is in action this weekend at Pickleball Virginia Beach. The facility, which normally hosts 44 dedicated courts, has been upgraded for the event. However, with MLP and PPA hosting events over the next ten days, 38 courts will be in use.
MLP Virginia Beach is unique as it's the only "Challenger Level Only" event of the year. All ten Challenger Level teams will compete, with 33 matches scheduled over four days. Each team will play six or seven matches, depending on their schedule. This means a significant 29% of the entire Challenger Level season will take place in Virginia Beach—massive playoff implications are on the line!
Another aspect that makes MLP Virginia Beach special is its timing—right before the Stratusphere Gin PPA Virginia Beach Cup. MLP wraps up on Sunday, and PPA qualifiers begin on Monday. Expect a quick turnaround—watch for The Dink's PPA preview this weekend.
MLP Virginia Beach is also notable for being the first event in a new series featuring Major and Minor League Pickleball. That's right! On September 28th and 29th, amateurs will compete in The Dink MiLP alongside the pros.
Weather Outlook
Excess rain from Hurricane Helene could cause issues late Friday into Saturday, but for now, it doesn't seem like it will be a major concern.
How to Watch MLP Virginia Beach
This is the easiest event to follow all year! Every match on Championship Court and Grandstand Court will be live-streamed on MLP’s YouTube Channel.
Standings
Here's a quick look at the current standings heading into MLP Virginia Beach, with credit to Real Clear Stats:
And don't miss our latest Challenger Level Power Rankings, which don’t include last week’s MLP NYC results.
Erik Tice
Here’s a graphic of all Challenger Level teams, their standings, total matches in Virginia Beach, and their opponents:
- Bold and Italic - Indicates an intriguing matchup
- Hard 8s vs. Miami: A top-tier showdown right out of the gate.
- Night Owls vs. Bouncers: Both teams are serious playoff contenders.
- Hard 8s vs. Brooklyn Aces: Another potential playoff matchup.
- The Florida Smash dropped Tammy Emmrich for Christa Gecheva, and Frisco picked up Emmrich shortly after in the most recent Waiver Wire period. Will Emmrich be out for revenge?
- In another heavyweight matchup, Miami faces Atlanta toward the weekend’s end.
- To close it out, Florida Smash vs. California Black Bears in a revenge match. This was the infamous Michelle Esquivel line call controversy from the Mid-Season Tournament. The teams have changed since then, but this rivalry is still hot!
- On-site alternates for this event include:
- Men - Roscoe Bellamy, Greg Dow, and AJ Koller
- Women - Monica Paolicelli, Michelle Esquivel, and Sarah Ansboury
Note: Scroll to the bottom of this article for my predictions on how the standings will look after MLP Virginia Beach.
Team by Team Breakdown
Miami Pickleball Club
Current Roster: Milan Rane, Bobbi Oshiro, Noe Khlif, Eric Oncins
Miami is coming off a HOT performance at MLP NYC, winning 14 of 15 points. They looked like the best Challenger team at the event. Let’s see if they can maintain that momentum in Virginia Beach.
Prediction: Miami cools off slightly but still earns 10 points from their six matches.
SoCal Hard Eights
Current Roster: Irina Tereschenko, Erik Lange, Yana Newell, Max Manthou
SoCal hasn't played recently, but they’re one of the most dominant teams in Challenger. Manthou is outperforming his fourth-round draft status, and Newell has elevated this team to new heights. Expect them to make an impact in Virginia Beach.
Prediction: SoCal has one of the best weekends, earning 14 points from seven matches.
Chicago Slice
Current Roster: Jack Munro, Allison Harris, Megan Fudge, Brendon Long
Chicago jumped up three spots after MLP NYC, gaining more than .25 points per match. Just behind SoCal, the Slice are poised for a hot run in Virginia Beach. With the addition of Megan Fudge, Chicago is set to finish the season strong.
Prediction: Chicago earns 13 points from their seven matches.
Atlanta Bouncers
Current Roster: Jaume Martinez Vich, Susannah Barr, Todd Fought, Emily Cederquist
Atlanta added two new women—Barr and Cederquist—who have experience playing together. This will be a great event for the Bouncers, although they may start slow as they find their rhythm.
Prediction: Atlanta earns 12 points from their six matches, averaging 2 points per match.
Las Vegas Night Owls
Current Roster: Zoey Wang, Judit Castillo, Rafa Hewett, Blaine Hovenier
Las Vegas came back down to Earth in MLP NYC after trading both their male players. Since parting ways with their GM Kaitlyn Kerr while in first place, the team has struggled.
Prediction: The Night Owls continue to have issues, earning only 8 points from their seven matches.
Brooklyn Aces
Current Roster: Lina Padegimaite, Daniel De La Rosa, Pablo Tellez, Layne Sleeth
Brooklyn didn’t fare well in NYC, earning just three points from five matches. Tellez seems determined to help the Aces secure a Premier Level spot next year. Virginia Beach could be their turning point.
Prediction: Brooklyn rebounds, earning 11 points from six matches.
Frisco Pandas
Current Roster: Ewa Radzikowska, Michael Loyd (for an injured John Cincola), Stefan Auvergne, Alli Phillips
Frisco struggled in NYC, with Radzikowska rated the best player and Cincola the worst (0-10). Frisco needs to regroup quickly, but I’m not confident they can do it.
Prediction: The Pandas earn seven points from seven matches.
Bay Area Breakers
Current Roster: Collin Shick, Jill Braverman, Allyce Jones, Martin Emmrich
The Breakers were first after two events but have since made big roster changes. This is the first time this version of the team plays together, and I think they'll regain their confidence.
Prediction: Bay Area earns 12 points from their seven matches.
Florida Smash
Current Roster: Travis Rettenmaier, Martina Frantova, Christa Gecheva, Donald Young
The Smash earned only 1.2 points per match in NYC. They seem to be playing the long game, but it may take time for this team to gel.
Prediction: The Smash earn six points from seven matches, putting them out of playoff contention.
California Black Bears
Current Roster: Chris Haworth, Amanda Hendry, Genie Erokhina, Brandon French
The Black Bears, realistically, became sellers at the last waiver period, knowing their playoff chances were slim. They’ve added Haworth, who’s a top singles player, but the team still faces challenges.
Prediction: The Black Bears become the first team eliminated from playoff contention, earning six points from their six matches.
Predicted Standings After MLP Virginia Beach
Here’s what the standings will look like if my predictions hold true:
