New Jersey 5s DreamBreaker Victory: The New Jersey 5s defeated the Los Angeles Mad Drops in a close 22-20 DreamBreaker finish on Saturday at the Advil Targeted Relief MLP Dallas. The match was held at Pickler Universe in Carrolton, Texas. This victory helped New Jersey move closer to securing the No. 3 seed in the standings.
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High Stakes Showdown
This was a big match between two top teams. The New Jersey 5s came in with a 16-3 record and 49 points. The Los Angeles Mad Drops had a 17-7 record with 47 points. Both teams had much to prove in this heated contest.
In their last meeting in Orlando, the Mad Drops nearly beat the 5s. But on Saturday, with Hunter Johnson back and Ben Johns fully active, New Jersey still found a way to win.
Strong Start by New Jersey
Anna Leigh Waters and Meghan Dizon gave the 5s a big start. They beat Catherine Parenteau and Jade Kawamoto 11-3 in women’s doubles.
“Their defense is just absurd, so we knew every ball was coming back and that we had to be on our ‘A’ game,”. “We just came in prepared, and we played a great match.”(Meghan Dizon)
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Mad Drops Respond
Ben Johns and Hunter Johnson answered for the Mad Drops. They beat Will Howells and Noe Khlif in men’s doubles to even the score.
Then came a tense mixed doubles match with strong storylines. Anna Leigh Waters and Will Howells took on Catherine Parenteau and Ben Johns. Parenteau used to be Waters’ partner in women’s doubles. Ben Johns is her current mixed doubles partner on the PPA Tour.
Waters and Howells won 11-4, pushing New Jersey ahead again.
But the Mad Drops came back. Jade Kawamoto and Hunter Johnson beat Meghan Dizon and Noe Khlif, which led to a DreamBreaker.
DreamBreaker Drama
In the final team tiebreaker, Hunter Johnson was sharp. He outscored Will Howells 9-3 in three turns. It looked like enough for Los Angeles to win.
But Anna Leigh Waters had the final say. She outscored Catherine Parenteau 9-1, including two straight points with the score tied at 20.
That clutch finish gave New Jersey the win.
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Teamwork Makes the Difference
Even after her big performance, Anna Leigh Waters gave credit to her teammates.
“I couldn’t have done it without the team,”. “LA is an amazing DreamBreaker team.
They’ve got some incredible players, and they were playing amazing, so I think it just showed our fight as a team and how much we work together.”(Anna Leigh Waters)
What’s Next
The win moves the New Jersey 5s closer to locking in the No. 3 seed for the playoffs. Their teamwork and strong finish in high-pressure moments prove they are a top team. The Los Angeles Mad Drops are still in the hunt and remain a serious threat in the postseason.
News in Brief: New Jersey 5s DreamBreaker Victory
The New Jersey 5s beat the Los Angeles Mad Drops 22-20 in a dramatic DreamBreaker at MLP Dallas. Anna Leigh Waters led the way with strong play and key points at the end. With this win, New Jersey is closer to securing the No. 3 seed for the upcoming postseason.
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