A picturesque weekend in Continental concluded in normal fashion with the premier Pickleball destination playing host to 7 thrilling contests between the town’s most dedicated Pickleballers. The action was intense as teams rounded into mid-season form resulting in some high-quality play throughout the evening.
Match 1: The Brown’s vs Team Van Vennekotter
The action kicked off with battle of Top 5 teams in the standings. The battle of titans also featured a sibling rivalry as well with Jessica taking on Kurtis for the first time in league play. Mark and Jessica came out on fire blasting missile after missile for some winners to build a commanding 9-1 lead for team Van Vennekotter. The combination of Jess’s bullets and Mark’s tricky Dutch wrist shots proved a problem for the Brown’s. Kurtis and Chelsea were not going away easy though and started a rally reminiscent of the ’04 Red Sox, reeling off point after point to even the game 9-9. After some terrific volleys, Kurtis skied for a jumping slam shot to slam the door on Game 1 11-9 for the Brown’s.
Game 2 was another terrific affair with both teams keeping the game close with high velocity shots coming both ways. The hard-hitting game continued with both sides unable to build a substantial lead over one another. A small run by Chelsea and Kurtis at the end was enough to tip the scales in favor of the Brown’s 11-8 to earn the match win and knock of Team Vennekotter from the undefeated crowd. Anonymous sources around the league say some bad news shared by the teammates after the news could have significant ramifications on their post-season dreams. Stay tuned for more…
After the fast paced first match, next up was a bout between the Miller’s and Weisenburger’s with each team looking for their first wins on the season. Taped up from battle scars from the previous week, Matt had his game face on and Renee was not holding back as Team Miller debuted new paddles this week. Rose and Curtis came in fatigued from the arduous process of home renovation along with upcoming nuptials in the back of their mind. The Miller’s could smell blood in the water and were talking smack from the time cars were parked. As the game began, Renee’s tennis background was evident in her transition to the Pickleball world with a vicious backhand that dropped in for a point. Complementing Renee, Matt displayed a versatile all-around game combining timely dink shots with some expert precision to build the quick lead. The momentum reached its peak when Matt displayed the “Air Mayor” (trademark pending) shot with a thunderous slam heard from Keiferville to Dupont and everywhere in between. After that, Game 1 was over and went to the Miller’s 11-2.
Match 2: The Miller’s vs The Weisenburger’s
Switching sides of the court, Rose and Curtis refused to back down from the challenge ahead as both teams settled into a great groove with some long volleys. The Miller’s pulled ahead early, but Rose led the comeback by serving 5 straight points to put the Weisenburger’s within striking distance of a victory. Alas, Renee would have no part of that, serving out the side for a 11-8 win to earn the match for the Miller’s.
Match 3: The Keck’s vs The Morgan’s
The Morgan’s came in to today’s match debuting some serious new swag in the form some kickass team shirts designed (mostly…damn image copyrights) by Catlyn. The Keck’s were all business in this one though and jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the opening Game. Stephanie and Scott continued to hit accurate shots time and again to build on that lead en route to a 11-0 win in Game 1.
Switching sides breathed new life into the Morgan’s though as they battled through some long volleys in a much tighter game 2. Midway through the game, the shot of the century was made by Ross as he skied through the air hitting the lob shot behind the back and between the legs, beautifully landing in the kitchen. Spectators and other players could not believe what they just witnessed. No one has ever seen a shot like that before and pundits were left scouring sources to name this majestic shot. Scott was so much in awe; he double pumped and smacked the ball right into the net. The burst of momentum gave the Morgan’s life, but Stephanie and Scott continued their onslaught and finished the match with a 11-5 win in Game 2 to keep their unblemished record intact.
Match 4: The Winkle’s vs The Streicher’s
Despite some serious action in the first 3 games, the intensity between the Winkle’s and Streicher’s brough the level of competition to a new level on the evening. Jordan was battling through some discomfort throughout the evening due to a radiation injury suffered earlier in the weekend. The Streicher’s wasted little time in building a quick lead showcasing their personal paddles’ powers. Katie and Ryan battled back though generating a bit of a comeback with the Streicher’s stuck at 10. Despite the burst, Jordan and Jill were able to breakthrough and earn the victory 11-6.
Game 2 was all Team Winkle early with Ryan controlling the front court and Katie directing traffic on the long shots building a 10-3 lead. At that point the Mamba mentality arrived for Jordan and Jill with Jordan utilizing his ambidextrous skill set and Jill showcasing her tremendous first baseman-like reach to battle back. Some of the longest volleys of the night were on display with both teams backing each other up and landing terrific shots. The Streicher’s were able to complete the comeback with their teamwork, however, and won the Game 12-10, needing the extra points to earn the match victory.
Match 5: The Horstman’s vs The Zimmerman’s
After scheduling conflicts prohibited the Horstman’s from making their 2021 debut, the fans were eager to see the 2020 Runners-Up back on the court. In an unprecedented move of selflessness, just an hour before first serve, Dawn informed her partner that she would be stepping down as his partner for the day in order to allow her eldest child the opportunity to compete with his father. Rob and Lisa though were dialed in and gave the Horstman’s a true CPL welcome back, showing no mercy. The Zimmerman’s used teamwork to build an early lead which they would not relinquish taking the first game 11-4. Between games, Blake could be heard trying to pump his father up. In summary he basically just said play better, dad; in not so many words.
Neil just could not find the handle on his serve in the first game and that carried over into the second game as well. Rob and Lisa were able to pick apart the defense and cruised to an 11-1 win to earn their first victory on the year.
Match 6: The Streicher’s vs The Horstman’s
With both teams pulling double duty, the Streicher’s and the Horstman’s returned to the court for the second time each of the evening. Neil, formerly one half of the greatest tennis duo in CHS Pirates history, was not going down again without a fight and dipped into his tennis toolbox in an effort to change the outcome for their second game of the evening. Jordan and Jill had other plans to continue their hot streak to start the season.
The match resembled the Australian Open with Neil and Blake playing the part of Pete Sampras and Jordan and Jill embodying Andre Agassi with powerful tennis style shots being hit back and forth leading to some long volleys. Neil could just not find the handle on his serves once again, squashing scoring opportunities for his team and setting a league record for lowest serve percent at 44% on the evening. (Sources needed). Jordan and Jill once again demonstrated great teamwork, backing one another up and making points very difficult to come by. Despite extra encouragement given by Blake, the Horstman’s just couldn’t overcome the Streicher’s technical prowess and fell in straight games 11-6 and 11-5 respectively.
Match 7: The Wagner’s vs The Donaldson’s
The evening’s final duel saw a battle of unbeatens as the Wagner’s were set to take on the Donaldson’s to keep Pace with the Streicher’s and Keck’s at the top of the league standings. Game 1 saw the Donaldson’s take a small lead to start as the teams got a feel for how to attack one another. After 10 minutes and the score still only at 3-1, it was clear this was going to be a slobber knocker in the words of the great JR. In one extended exchange with both teams covering every inch of the court, Sarah inadvertently drilled Juice for a self-inflicted wound. The Donaldson’s found a little momentum after and were able to ride that to a 11-5 Game 1 victory.
Juice started Game 2 with a fervor, serving up 3 straight points to take the early lead. Some terrific, long volleys had the game close throughout with neither team either to garner a substantial lead. In a tremendous feat, Juice jumped to reach a sideline shot by Sarah D and became parallel with the ground 3 feet below. Having the wherewithal and court awareness, he was able to lay off the shot that landed out of bounds for a key point in the Game. The Wagner’s were able to finish the deal and earn the Game 2 victory 11-9.
The deciding Game 3 Started out with the Donaldson’s taking a quick 4-0 lead on the serve with Sarah D landing some impressive skill shots near the sidelines, keeping the Wagner’s off-balance. As the game wore on, it seemed the Wagner’s shots got stronger, just too strong to stay in bounds and the Donaldson’s were able to capitalize to earn the win 11-0 and take the match.
CPL action will roll on next weekend with a Father’s Day edition of the best Pickleball action in town. Free beer to all dads from the barn fridge on Sunday so feel free to bring your dads for the best sporting event in town next Sunday evening. Schedule may need to change to accommodate family needs, so we will be reaching out early in the week to lock down any scheduling changes prior to the weekend.