MLP Columbus Event Previes - Stop #2

Get ready for an MLP whirlwind this summer. We have barely recovered from the first event of the season, MLP Dallas, and we are one day away from starting MLP Columbus.

Pickle and Chill is once again hosting the MLP Columbus event, a beautiful outdoor/indoor venue with many courts. 

Now that we have seen how MLP works by watching the Dallas event, I don’t think I need to get into the rules or format as much. 

Instead, let’s get into the top questions for the weekend.

Do the New Jersey 5s and St. Louis Shock Bounce Back?

The Shock and the 5s both dinished 3rd and 4th, respectively, in Dallas. Is that a bad result? Absoutely not, but I can tell you both teams wished they were playing for 1st place on Monday, instead of 3rd.

Which one of these teams can bounce back and make it to Super Sunday for the title match? I’d say the Shock have the easier route to do so.

Which one of the teams that hasn’t played yet will stand out?

The following teams are playing in MLP Columbus for the first time this season:

• Atlanta Bouncers
• California Black Bears
• Chicago Slice
• Miami Pickleball Club
• Florida Smash
• Las Vegas Night Owls
• Palm Beach Royals

The team on this list with the most pressure on them is the Palm Beach Royals (discussed below). Which team from the list of teams is able to step up and get some wins for their club this week?

Miami is looking hot with Nico and Yuta just winning gold in a Challenger last week, Atlanta’s men are really in form, and Chicago has a bunch of veterans on the team.

What do the hometown Sliders do now that Parris Todd is back from suspension and allowed to play?

Obviously Parris is a top five doubles player in the world (and still top 5 in singles, despite not playing it the past four months). Danni-Elle Townsend performed admirably in Dallas, and so did Alix Truong. This a great problem to have if you are Columbus. 

What do the expansion Palm Beach Royals do in their first ever event as a team?

There has been a lot of hype around the Royals since their expansion was announced last year. They spent money in the offseason on Sofia Sewing, paid money for Dekel Bar and Tina Pisnik, and then paid for Tyson in the draft. They are betting on a lot of veteran leadership to help them in the 2026 year.

How to Watch MLP Columbus

All times are Eastern

Teams listed first are AWAY and the second team listed is HOME

All matches available on Pickleballtv and the Pickleballtv App, in addition to:

Sunday, May 31

• All day on MSG Network

Pools for MLP Columbus

Pool A:

• Atlanta Bouncers
• California Black Bears
• Chicago Slice
• Columbus Sliders
• Miami Pickleball Club
• New Jersey 5s

Pool B:

• Carolina Hogs
• Florida Smash
• Las Vegas Night Owls
• Palm Beach Royals
• St. Louis Shock

Team By Team Quick Glance

Pool A

Atlanta Bouncers

• Roster: Jaume Martinez Vich, Jay Devilliers, Jessie Irvine, Kaitlyn Christian, Keilly Ulery, and Donald Young

California Black Bears

• Roster: Kiora Kunimoto, Sahra Dennehy, Anouar Braham, Michael Loyd, Emma Nelson, and Joey Wild

Chicago Slice

• Roster: Hunter Johnson, Zane Navratil, Jamie Wei, Mari Humberg, Jalina Ingram, and Tom Protzek

Columbus Sliders

• Roster: Andrei Daescu, Parris Todd, CJ Klinger, Danni-Elle Townsend, Alex Crum, and Alix Truong

Miami Pickleball Club

• Roster: Nico Acevedo, Yuta Funemizu, Estee Widdershoven, Isabella Dunlap, Clayton Powell, and Aiko Yoshitomi

New Jersey 5s

• Roster: Anna Leigh Waters, Jorja Johnson, Will Howells, Noe Khlif, Martin Emmrich, and Lina Padigemaite

Pool B

Carolina Hogs

• Roster: Brandon French, Samantha Parker, DJ Young, Alli Phillips, Connor Mogle, and Abbigal Hatton

Florida Smash

• Roster: Travis Rettenmaier, Martina Frantova, Cason Campbell, Paula Rives Palau, Chris Crouch, and Zoey Weil

Las Vegas Night Owls

• Roster: Zoey Wang, Liz Truluck, Blaine Hovenier, Roscoe Bellamy, Braden Jacobson, and Callie Smith

Palm Beach Royals

• Roster: Sofia Sewing, Tyson McGuffin, Dekel Bar, Tina Pisnik, Tammy Emmrich, and Grayson Goldin

St. Louis Shock

• Roster: Anna Bright, Hayden Patriquin, Gabe Tardio, Kate Fahey, Elsie Hendershot, and John Lucian Goins