After a long PPA campaign, the pros are eager to shift gears and dive into the fast-paced excitement of team competition of MLP.

One of the biggest storylines is the pairing of Anna Leigh Waters and Jorja Johnson on the New Jersey 5s.

“I’m really excited for MLP. I feel like we’ve been playing this PPA season for a long time. We’ve had a lot of tournaments and I’m excited for something new. The MLP dynamic is very different from the PPA. It’s fun to play for a team because there’s so many different variables going on. I’m excited to have a break between the two,” said Waters. 

“I’m also excited to play with Jorja. We’ve been competitors for such a long time, and we played one tournament together in Daytona and it was really fun. It’s cool in pickleball how you can play with your biggest competitors, whether it’s MLP or PPA. A lot of other players switch up their partners more, but for me it’s interesting because I play with the same partners. It’s going to be fun for me to switch it up.”

Waters brings plenty of MLP experience, of course, but for rising star Kiora Kunimoto, this season marks her debut in the league.

She was drafted by the California Black Bears for her first taste of team play. 

“I’m so excited to play MLP. I’ve been watching my teammates’ matches and cheering them on,” said Kunimoto. “I’m really excited to play with the team. It’s going to be so fun.”

Getting drafted to an MLP team was one of Kunimoto’s biggest goals this year, and now that she’s achieved it, she’s thrilled to finally kick off the season.

“I was so excited when I found out I got drafted. A few team owners reached out, but I’m really happy to be on the California Black Bears,” she mentioned. “I know pretty much everyone on the team, so that’s great. I think we’ll all get along and have a lot of fun together.”

“It’s going to be really fun competing as a team,” she noted. “I’m really looking forward to getting a lot of match experiences.”

Kunimoto is also excited for the opportunity to learn from and compete alongside veteran Michael Loyd.

“Michael has played in a lot of MLPs, so I think it’s exciting to be playing with him since he’s done this before,” insisted Kunimoto. “He’ll have good advice for us.”

“I think MLP will be cool. I haven’t really played MLP yet, but that seems like a really fun event,” he praised. “Everyone looks like they’re having a great time out there and the crowd seems more involved, so I think it’s going to be a great environment.”

With the MLP season just around the corner, it’s shaping up to be an exciting summer for pickleball fans.

Click here to grab tickets to an MLP event near you.