New Jersey 5s Dominate SoCal Hard Eights: The New Jersey 5s, now 10-3 with 30 points, delivered a clean sweep over the SoCal Hard Eights on Saturday at 2025 MLP Daytona Beach. After an unexpected loss earlier in the tournament, the 5s responded with strong performances in all four matches and didn’t drop a single game.
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New Jersey Recovers After Loss
Just like the St. Louis Shock had done the day before, the New Jersey 5s showed resilience after a surprise defeat. Facing the SoCal Hard Eights, they showed no signs of slowing down, quickly taking control from the first serve.
The team of Anna Leigh Waters, Meghan Dizon, Will Howells, and Zane Navratil dominated all their matchups. Their confident play earned them a 4-0 win in regulation, meaning a DreamBreaker was not needed.
| Event | SoCal Hard Eights | Score | New Jersey 5s | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women’s Doubles | Jalina Ingram / Judit Castillo | 0-11 | Anna Leigh Waters / Meghan Dizon | New Jersey 5s |
| Men’s Doubles | Ryan Fu / Blaine Hovenier | 5-11 | Will Howells / Zane Navratil | New Jersey 5s |
| Mixed Doubles 1 | Ryan Fu / Judit Castillo | 8-11 | Anna Leigh Waters / Will Howells | New Jersey 5s |
| Mixed Doubles 2 | Jalina Ingram / Blaine Hovenier | 5-11 | Zane Navratil / Meghan Dizon | New Jersey 5s |
| DreamBreaker | Blaine Hovenier / Ryan Fu / Jalina Ingram / Judit Castillo | 0-0 | Will Howells / Zane Navratil / Anna Leigh Waters / Meghan Dizon | N\A |
Statement Win Heading into the Final Stretch
The win keeps the New Jersey 5s in strong playoff position as they head into the final rounds of 2025 MLP Daytona Beach. Their ability to bounce back with such a strong performance shows the team’s depth and unity.
Their victory also keeps them among the top teams in the standings. With their full lineup healthy and playing well, they remain serious contenders for the Premier League title.
“I think it was a good opportunity to talk with the team and to go over things that worked and things that didn’t,”. “On Thursday, there were obviously some things that didn’t work, so we were just trying to problem-solve and fix it. Zane [Navratil] did an amazing job as team captain to kind of get us together, sit down, and talk about some things that maybe we wouldn’t want to talk about without him.”(Anna Leigh Waters)
News in Brief: New Jersey 5s Dominate SoCal Hard Eights
The New Jersey 5s swept the SoCal Hard Eights on Saturday at 2025 MLP Daytona Beach, winning 4-0 in regulation. After a previous loss, the team responded with dominant play across all matches, strengthening their position in the standings as the playoffs draw closer.
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