The biggest storyline of Saturday at MLP Columbus belonged to the New Jersey 5s.

After suffering two tough losses to the Columbus Sliders over the last year — at the 2025 MLP Finals and the season-opening event in Dallas just last weekend — New Jersey finally got its revenge in emphatic fashion.

The 5s swept all four games against Columbus, earning a statement victory over the hometown favorites.

This makes the 5s the winners of Pool A, advancing to Super Sunday to battle for the weekend's #1 and #2 slots (worth 25 and 18 ranking points respectively). The St. Louis Shock win Pool B and will meet them there.

SEE ALL MATCH SCORES AND POOL PLAY RESULTS FROM SATURDAY

For a team loaded with new faces and sky-high expectations, the NJ 5s' win felt like a breakthrough moment.

New Jersey's roster features Anna Leigh Waters, Noe Khlif, Will Howells, and Jorja Johnson, while Columbus has Andrei Daescu, CJ Klinger, Parris Todd, and Danni-Elle Townsend.

Instead of another nail-biter rivalry match, the 5s controlled the contest from start to finish.

New Jersey set the tone immediately in women's doubles, where Waters and Johnson rolled past Townsend and Todd, 11-3. Howells and Khlif followed with an 11-8 victory over Daescu and Klinger in men's doubles to give the 5s a 2-0 advantage.

The domination continued in mixed play. Waters and Khlif cruised to an 11-1 victory over Daescu and Todd in mixed doubles #1 before Howells and Johnson completed the sweep with an 11-7 win against Klinger and Townsend in mixed doubles #2.

Following the victory, Waters admitted the result carried extra meaning considering the history between the teams.

"It feels great," said Waters. "We're a new team this year and obviously Columbus beat us in the finals last year and then again in Dallas. They're really tough to play here because they have the home crowd behind them, but I feel like we won over some fans by the end."

Khlif, who has quickly emerged as a key piece of New Jersey's lineup and recently replaced Howells as Waters' partner for MLP mixed matches, embraced the spotlight.

"Unreal. I felt great, I felt like I was somewhere else today, that was so awesome," he said after the match.

Although the Columbus Sliders were not the victors of the day, the atmosphere at Pickle and Chill was undeniable. Columbus has fully embraced professional pickleball, and fans took things to another level Saturday morning by organizing what was billed as the first tailgate in pickleball history. Some supporters reportedly arrived as early as 6 a.m. before matches even began.

 

 

 

 

 

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The crowd only grew throughout the day, with "Love is Blind" stars Connor and Jordan among the notable spectators at Pickle & Chill.

While New Jersey's revenge story grabbed the headlines, several other narratives emerged throughout the event.

Parris Todd returned for her first MLP appearance of the season after serving a suspension stemming from participation in an overseas event that was found to violate her exclusive contract with the PPA and MLP.

Todd immediately reminded everyone why she remains one of the league's most impactful players.

The Columbus star played some of her best pickleball and also found herself in the middle of one of Saturday's most talked-about moments after exchanging words with Zane Navratil during competition.

"I mean, everyone can really act whatever way they want and kind of get away with it, it seems like," Todd said afterward. "If he's going to give it, then I'm going to give it back."

Another feel-good story came from Grayson Goldin, who returned to MLP competition after suffering a stroke earlier this year.

Meanwhile, the newly bought and founded team, the Palm Beach Royals, continued their impressive debut weekend.

Palm Beach — featuring Tyson McGuffin, Dekel Bar, Tina Pisnik, and APP-darling Sofia Sewing — entered Columbus as one of the biggest storylines after the franchise was purchased and rebuilt during the offseason.

The new-look squad exceeded expectations immediately, opening the event undefeated through its first three matchups before ultimately losing its last pool play match.

Waiting for New Jersey in the battle for spot #1 and 25 ranking points is the St. Louis Shock, one of the most talented rosters in Major League Pickleball.

The Shock — featuring Hayden Patriquin, Gabe Tardio, Anna Bright, and Kate Fahey — won Pool B with a 3-1 victory over the Palm Beach Royals on Saturday.

The Shock built an early advantage by dominating both gender doubles contests. Bright and Fahey cruised past Pisnik and Sewing, 11-4, in women's doubles before Patriquin and Tardio overwhelmed McGuffin and Bar, 11-2, in men's doubles to put St. Louis ahead 2-0.

Palm Beach kept the matchup alive in mixed doubles #1, where McGuffin and Sewing earned an 11-8 victory over Patriquin and Bright to hand the Shock their only loss of the day.

Needing to win the final game to avoid a Dreambreaker, St. Louis delivered in mixed doubles #2. Tardio and Fahey defeated Bar and Pisnik, 11-7, to secure the 3-1 victory and send the Shock into the championship match against New Jersey.

Fahey admitted afterward that she was relieved to avoid a winner-take-all Dreambreaker.

"It's always good not to go to a Dreambreaker," she laughed when asked about closing out the Royals in the second mixed doubles matchup. "I'm just excited to play with my team. We've got a really great group of people. Any day with the St. Louis Shock is a great day."

Now, two of the league's biggest powerhouses will battle for the Columbus crown.

Fans can purchase tickets to attend Sunday's championship action in person at Pickle & Chill through the official MLP Columbus event page.

Watch live coverage on Pickleballtv, rewatch completed matches on MLP's YouTube channel, and follow the latest standings to see how every result impacts the 2026 season race.

• Tickets: https://majorleaguepickleball.co/events-2026/mlp-columbus-2026/
• Watch Live: https://pickleballtv.com
• MLP YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MajorLeaguePickleball
• Team Standings: https://brackets.pickleballteamleagues.com/team-leagues/2f129d1d-0202-4d55-8448-bfafc0872305/tournaments/a965559e-0d30-488b-af4f-dbfdc78ef2c3/overview