Edward Jones MLP San Clemente continues on Friday with eight matches across Championship Court and Grandstand Court at Life Time Rancho San Clemente.

This week’s six competing Premier level teams—the Brooklyn Pickleball Team, Columbus Sliders, Los Angeles Mad Drops, Phoenix Flames, SoCal Hard Eights, and Utah Black Diamonds—will play their first matches on Friday.

Here is the full slate of matches:

Now, let’s get into what to watch for.

• The Los Angeles Mad Drops (10-4, 28pts) have the most momentum of arguably any team in MLP right now, having won six matches in a row and coming off an undefeated campaign in Daytona Beach. They will begin their hometown event with matches against the SoCal Hard Eights (2-12, 7pts) and Brooklyn Pickleball Team (7-4, 23pts) and should benefit from the return of Quang Duong, who missed last week’s Orange County Cup serving a suspension.

• The Columbus Sliders (7-4, 20pts) will take the court for the first time since their hometown event in early May. CJ Klinger had to miss that entire event with an illness, so his presence in Southern California should be a huge help for Columbus. The 19-year-old took bronze in men’s doubles and 4^th place in mixed doubles at least week’s PPA Tour event, so he should come in with no shortage of confidence. The Sliders’ only match on Friday will be against the SoCal Hard Eights.

• Speaking of SoCal, the Hard Eights are the youngest team in MLP with three teenagers in Jalina Ingram, Cailyn Campbell, and John Lucian Goins. Ingram and Campbell—who are 17 and 15, respectively—will get the start in women’s doubles with Irina Tereschenko out with an injury. They will be thrown right into the gauntlet on Friday when they face the Mad Drops’ pairing of Catherine Parenteau/Jade Kawamoto (12-2 together) and the Sliders’ pairing of Lea Jansen/Parris Todd (7-4 together).

• And finally, Brooklyn will be severely shorthanded on the men’s side. They will be without all three of their rostered male players in Dekel Bar (illness/injury), Riley Newman (injury sustained at MLP Phoenix), and Pat Smith (illness). On-site alternates AJ Koller and Rafa Hewett will take their place this week and look to find some wins alongside Rachel Rohrabacher and Jackie Kawamoto.

Grandstand Court action begins at 10am PT, while Championship Court matches will start at 11am PT on Pickleballtv.