PEACHTREE CORNERS, GA - There’s just something about the New Jersey 5s and DreamBreakers that works. For the third time in three matches, the squad featuring Anna Leigh Waters, Mari Humberg, Zane Navratil, and Will Howells came through a tight encounter with a 3-2 victory.

Their triumph Saturday morning came against the AZ Drive, who were playing their first match of the season.

The Drive struck first behind the tandem of Andrei Daescu and Dylan Frazier in men’s doubles, but Waters and Humberg evened the match with a women’s doubles victory before the teams split mixed doubles games.

The 5s went to work from there, securing a convincing 21-13 DreamBreaker victory to finish their Atlanta campaign undefeated.

“We just love playing with each other,” Howells said of the team’s success in tight moments. “Everyone’s super supportive, and that helps us build confidence as matches go on. Even though we had a couple tough matches in doubles, we felt confident going into the DreamBreaker because we have that trust.”

This is the first MLP event for Howells, and the former University of Notre Dame tennis player is enjoying the distinct energy of team competition.

“I love the team atmosphere,” he shared. “I played college tennis, and I miss it a lot, and this reminds me of that. Having a great crowd and great fans makes it a lot more fun out there.”

The 5s have no more matches in Atlanta, while the Drive will face the Columbus Sliders and D.C. Pickleball Team later on Saturday.