Dallas. Texas. Miami. Atlanta.

The storms rolled in, and only the best weathered it. And we’re not talking about Dallas’ forecast, even though rain did force several of the matches indoors.

It was a weekend filled with hard-fought matches between the best teams— unsurprisingly, both Premier matchups (Dallas vs. NY, Texas vs. DC) went to 3 matches that lasted well into Sunday night.

Here’s how it all played out.

Miami PB Club vs. Frisco Pandas

The opening match started strong, with Miami being laser-focused on league promotion. They dominated the Pandas 3-1, only falling in mixed 1 with Stefan Auvergne & Ewa Radzikowska beating Bobbi Oshiro and Noe Khlif 27-25. Eric Oncins and Millie Rane closed out Match 1 by beating Michael Loyd and Tammy Emmrich 25-17. Bobbi and Noe got their revenge in the afternoon, beating Stefan & Ewa 25-15 in Match 2. This matchup went to a Dreambreaker where Miami closed it out 21-11, anchored by Millie’s 7-1 run. Their day started & ended on Friday, and they clinched both a spot in finals and in Premier for 2025.

Las Vegas Night Owls vs. Atlanta Bouncers

On the other half of the Challenger bracket, the Bouncers took Match 1 over Las Vegas 3-1. Las Vegas’ only win in the match was to the original ladies, Zoey Wang and Judit Castillo 29-27 over ex-Bears Susannah Barr and Emily Cederquist. The second match of the day went to a Dreambreaker, with Las Vegas taking the win in a tight battle ending 21-19. With their series tied 1-1, they had to come back Saturday to close it out. The Bouncers showed no mercy in Match 3, putting on an absolute beat-down of the Owls and winning the match 3-1. The Bouncers move on to finals in Orlando, and also secured their spot in Premier next year. Meanwhile, the Night Owls have to go back to the drawing board - and maybe figure out their GM situation.

Dallas Flash vs. NY Hustlers

Day 1 for Premier teams started out with intermittent rain forcing the Challenger match inside. Luckily, the weather cleared and the Flash and Hustlers faced off on center court. In match 1, JW and Jorja struggled in both of their games while Jack & Lea played some of their best pickleball of the season. NY was able to force a Dreambreaker, and Lea led them to a victory 21-17. Flash came back with a vengeance on Sunday— or perhaps the raucous Dallas crowd got in the Hustlers’ heads— because the Flash swept the Hustlers 3-0 in Match 2 & 3.

The most exciting game came in Match 2, when the mens’ game swapped game point after game point, ending 37-35. (Broadcast exclusively on ESPN2, the replay is not yet available.) With both of Sunday’s matches ending 3-0, JW and Jorja never had to play mixed, and the Hustlers were visibly gassed as the final match stretched into the evening hours. The Hustlers ended their playoff run mirroring the inconsistent play that epitomized their regular season. Now the Hustlers have to decide of Jack is worth $400k to keep for 2025.

Texas Ranchers vs. DC Pickleball Team

From another part of Texas (Austin) came riding the Texas Ranchers, saddled up for a battle against DC. We expected this to go to 3, and we weren’t disappointed. After enjoying a reprieve from not playing in Miami, the Ranchers returned well-rested and ready to ride. In the opening match, however, DC came out strong winning 3-1 in regulation games. Ranchers took only the women’s doubles game, with Etta & Tina beating Viv & Rachel 25-21.

On Sunday, Match 2 of the event began indoors as rain continued to hamper the venue. On the humid and stuffy court, the Ranchers dominated early (with a loud crowd on their side) and took the match in regulation 3-1. DC’s only win came in the first mixed game, where Viv & Dekel fought to 34-32 over Tina & QD. James struggled, drenched in sweat, zapping all his energy in an endless cycle of bouncing. With their quarterfinals matchup now tied 1-1, the teams played their 3rd and final match back on center court. The Ranchers won 3-1 again, falling only in women’s doubles (24-26). Match 2 is definitely the more exciting for a re-watch, especially with that high scoring mixed game— but if you’re more into a “closer,” then catch Match 3’s replay.

So, it was the two Texas teams that emerged victorious and are headed to Orlando to finish the job. Can either the Flash or the Ranchers take down the Shock and 5s to be the ultimate winner?

Next Up: MLP Playoffs, Round 2

With the lineup set for both Premier and Challenger, the teams can now prep for the final round of playoffs. Later this week, the #1 seed in each league will select which opponent they will face (from MLP Dallas’s winners), while the #2 seeds will play the remaining team. The higher seeded teams will also get to make all coin-toss decisions in matches 1 & 2. See full playoff structure and rules here.

MLP Orlando is November 22 - 24 at USTA National Campus

PPA World Championships

But before MLP finals start, PPA Tour is hosting World Championships at the same location as MLP Dallas, and is already underway. Pickleball Boulevard is in full swing with vendors, clinics, special events, and a concert series. See the full calendar of events here:

The KOTC crew will be on the ground with daily live pod recordings and giveaways. Check out what we have on deck!

Kick off Worlds at a fabulous opening night party where you can meet Tyler & Jimmy! This party is open to all, with FREE admission! Tuesday, 6 p.m. at the Vulcan Shack, situated directly across from the Main Stage.

ENTER TO WIN

You and a guest can win a lunch with Tyler & Jimmy on Friday, Nov 8th. PLUS the winner will receive the Jimmy Miller Signature Vulcan V-Lux Pickleball Bag - never before seen by the public!

If you’re planning to attend MLP playoffs, PPA, or both, you can secure your tickets at a discount using code KOTC.

Watch the entire episode below, or jump here for the PPA Worlds preview.