Las Vegas Night Owls Pickleball Victory: The Las Vegas Night Owls clinched a hard-fought 3-1 win over Florida Smash in the Major League Pickleball (MLP) St. Louis Final on Sunday. The event took place at Chaifetz Arena and featured seven matches on Championship Court and Grandstand Court. Las Vegas sealed the win with strong performances in doubles and mixed matches.
Doubles Domination Sets the Tone
The day started well for the Las Vegas Night Owls. In women’s doubles, Brooke Buckner and Chao Yi Wang delivered a dominant 11-3 victory against Paula Rives and Martina Frantova of Florida Smash. The Las Vegas men also played strong, with Rafa Hewett and James Delgado beating Cason Campbell and Travis Rettenmaier 11-8 in men’s doubles.
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Florida Fights Back in Mixed Doubles
Florida Smash got back into the contest during the first mixed doubles match. Travis Rettenmaier teamed up with Martina Frantova to take on Rafa Hewett and Brooke Buckner. It was a close game, but Florida came out on top with an 11-9 win. This kept their hopes alive heading into the next round.
In the second mixed doubles match, James Delgado and Chao Yi Wang of Las Vegas faced Cason Campbell and Paula Rives. Delgado and Wang were unstoppable, cruising to an 11-3 victory. With this win, Las Vegas led the match 3-1.
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Dreambreaker Secures the Win
The final match was a Dreambreaker, a unique MLP format where all four players from each team rotate in singles play. Las Vegas Night Owls fielded Rafa Hewett, James Delgado, Brooke Buckner, and Chao Yi Wang. Florida Smash used Cason Campbell, Travis Rettenmaier, Martina Frantova, and Paula Rives. The match was not played as Las Vegas had already secured the victory.
| Match | Las Vegas Night Owls | vs | Florida Smash | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women’s Doubles | Brooke Buckner / Chao Yi Wang | vs | Paula Rives / Martina Frantova | 11 – 3 |
| Men’s Doubles | Rafa Hewett / James Delgado | vs | Cason Campbell / Travis Rettenmaier | 11 – 8 |
| Mixed Doubles 1 | Rafa Hewett / Brooke Buckner | vs | Travis Rettenmaier / Martina Frantova | 9 – 11 |
| Mixed Doubles 2 | James Delgado / Chao Yi Wang | vs | Cason Campbell / Paula Rives | 11 – 3 |
| Dreambreaker | Rafa Hewett / James Delgado / Brooke Buckner / Chao Yi Wang | vs | Cason Campbell / Travis Rettenmaier / Martina Frantova / Paula Rives | 0 – 0 (Las Vegas wins) |
What’s Next for the Teams?
This win adds another important result to the Las Vegas Night Owls’ record and shows the strength of their squad across formats. Florida Smash showed moments of great play but couldn’t keep up with the balance and consistency of the Night Owls.
News in Brief: Las Vegas Night Owls Pickleball Victory
Las Vegas Night Owls beat Florida Smash 3-1 in the MLP St. Louis Final at Chaifetz Arena on Sunday. With strong wins in women’s doubles, men’s doubles, and one mixed doubles match, the Night Owls sealed victory before the Dreambreaker. Florida fought hard but couldn’t turn the match around.
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