Visit by fan favorite “Lady Gibraltar” part of lead up to Amateur Draft Championship Tournament, beginning September 3
Lee Whitwell, reigning MVP of Major League Pickleball (MLP), recently visited Pickles NE, LLC, an indoor, first-of-its-kind, state-of-the-art, climate-controlled pickleball-only complex, as part of its ongoing series of round robins leading up to the Amateur Draft Championship Tournament, slated to take place beginning Saturday, September 3.
Whitwell was on hand throughout the day on Sunday, August 21, competing on the court, meeting fans, and providing lots of tips – and quips!
She also participated in an exhibition of fast-paced rally scoring in an MLP-style competition, which features scoring to 21 and points scored on every serve. Teams were determined based in part on each player’s Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating (DUPR) to make them as evenly matched as possible. Whitwell led “Team MLP,” which also included Pickles’ coaches Cindy Reagan and Scotty Dittrich as well as Traci Lisherness. In somewhat of an upset, they were beat in five sets by “Team DUPR,” which was comprised of Pickles’ coach Riley Stockwell as well as Allyssa Lisherness, Tori Manteo, and Greg Darsh.
Voted by her pro peers as MLP’s MVP, Whitwell has quickly gained the hearts of pickleball players throughout America and is a proven fan favorite every time she steps on the court. Born in Gibraltar, Whitwell grew up playing tennis and became a Division II national champion. Her passion for tennis met its match in 2017 when Whitwell picked up a pickleball paddle for the first time and soon after participated in her inaugural pickleball tournament – and won! Since then, she has become one of the top players on the women’s tour.
The weekend also marked the end of the series of one-day, timed round robins held since July 9, which will determine who competes in the Championship Tournament, scheduled to take place over Labor Day Weekend (September 3 and 4). Teams will be announced shortly.
“The action all day was intense, and Lee really helped to kick everybody’s ability, and enjoyment, up a notch,” said Lisa DeMeritt, co-founder of Pickles NE, LLC.
“Given the level of play we saw today, our Championship Tournament should be incredible,” added Wanda Melampy, co-founder of Pickles NE, LLC. “We’re so grateful to Lee for spending the day with us.”
About Pickles NE, LLC
Pickles was founded by Lisa DeMeritt and Wanda Melampy, two women with a passion for the sport of pickleball. After being introduced to the sport and observing its huge following, they identified a need for indoor courts exclusively designed for the sport of pickleball. Pickles also offers beer and wine in their café area, and a small retail shop carrying the latest pickleball gear. Pickles is also available for functions and corporate events.
Pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum as a game the whole family could take part in. Year over year the sport has experienced growth as more people become familiar with pickleball; today, over 5 million people throughout the United States play pickleball, and it has grown 650% over the last five years, making it considered the fastest-growing sport in the world.
Pickles is located at 357 Columbia Road in Hanover, MA. For more information, please visit www.picklesne.com.
About Major League Pickleball
Major League Pickleball (MLP) is the elite professional pickleball competition that sees teams of two women, two men, compete in a unique format that has set new standards in the fastest growing sport in America. MLP’s first-ever event, which took place in November 2021, raised the bar for pro pickleball, introducing broadcast and event production innovations that saw MLP awarded the title “Event of the Year” by The Dink. In addition to MLP’s goal to create engaging new platforms to showcase the best professional female and male pickleball players worldwide, MLP is also focused on helping build the grassroots of the sport, attracting both new participants and fans to pickleball in the USA and worldwide. For more information on Major League Pickleball, go to www.majorleaguepickleball.net and follow Major League Pickleball on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest and YouTube.
