Las Vegas Night Owls Challenger Victory: The Las Vegas Night Owls defeated the Nashville Chefs in a deciding DreamBreaker on Sunday to win the Challenger level championship and secure promotion to the Premier level in 2026. The Night Owls closed out the series with a commanding 21-9 victory in the singles tiebreak.
How the Match Played Out
The Nashville Chefs held a 2-1 lead before the final mixed doubles match. But Brooke Buckner and Pablo Tellez of Las Vegas came through, beating Ewa Radzikowska and Marshall Brown to force a DreamBreaker.
In the singles showdown, Las Vegas showed no signs of nerves. Pablo Tellez, James Delgado, Zoey Wang, and Brooke Buckner combined for a dominant performance. Tellez set the tone early, defeating Marshall Brown 4-0 in the first rotation and finishing with a 7-1 advantage. That lead carried the Night Owls to the title.
Coach’s Reaction
Night Owls coach Steve Deakin praised his players’ resilience.
“This is one of the most special moments of my pickleball career with these four unbelievable athletes. These guys battled hard every single day.
We had our backs against the wall today. They showed that it’s not about the pickleball—it’s about what’s upstairs—and we pulled through and crushed that DreamBreaker. That’s what champions do.”(Steve Deakin)
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Why It Matters
The victory marks redemption for Las Vegas, which missed promotion in 2024 after falling in the quarterfinals to the Atlanta Bouncers. This time, they completed the job and will join 16 other Premier-level teams in 2026. For Nashville, the loss ended their title hopes after a hard-fought run.
News in Brief: Las Vegas Night Owls Challenger Victory
The Las Vegas Night Owls defeated the Nashville Chefs in a DreamBreaker 21-9 to win the Challenger title and secure Premier promotion in 2026. Key performances came from Pablo Tellez, James Delgado, Zoey Wang, and Brooke Buckner. Coach Steve Deakin praised the team’s resilience and called the victory “one of the most special moments.”
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