Columbus Sliders Triumph Over Carolina Hogs: The Columbus Sliders earned their first victory of the 2025 MLP Orlando with a 3-1 win over the Carolina Hogs on Friday afternoon. After a challenging start to the season, the Sliders were able to bounce back and secure a much-needed victory.
Columbus Takes Early Control
The Sliders came out strong with two dominant victories in the opening gender doubles matches. Lea Jansen and Parris Todd delivered a solid performance in women’s doubles, while Andrei Daescu and CJ Klinger took control in men’s doubles, giving Columbus a 2-0 lead and putting them in a strong position.
Carolina Fights Back, But Columbus Holds On
The Carolina Hogs made a push in the mixed doubles events, with Tamaryn Emmrich and Ben Johns winning the first mixed doubles match. However, the Sliders responded strongly in the second mixed doubles contest, with Jansen and Klinger defeating Kaitlyn Christian and Collin Johns, closing out the match in regulation and securing the victory.
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The Road to the Win
Coming into Friday’s contest, the Columbus Sliders had faced a tough start to their season, facing the New Jersey 5s (2024 runners-up) on Thursday and the Dallas Flash (2024 champions) on Friday morning. Despite the early challenges, the team remained focused and was determined to earn their first win.
Lea Jansen shared her thoughts on the team’s journey so far and the satisfaction of getting their first win under their belt.
“It’s nice to get in the win column. We all just started playing together, so it was really tough coming out against two very seasoned teams who have played together for pretty much a whole year already. We used that as a learning experience, but it’s only up from here.” – (Jansen)
What’s Next for the Sliders and Hogs
Both teams will be back in action on Saturday at the USTA National Campus. The Columbus Sliders will face the Texas Ranchers, while the Carolina Hogs are set to take on the Dallas Flash. With both teams eager to continue improving, Saturday’s matches promise to be exciting.
News in Brief: Columbus Sliders Triumph Over Carolina Hogs
The Columbus Sliders secured their first win of the 2025 MLP Orlando with a 3-1 victory over the Carolina Hogs. After taking an early 2-0 lead, the Sliders sealed the win in the second mixed doubles match. Lea Jansen expressed satisfaction with the victory after a tough start to the season. Both teams will return to action on Saturday.
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