Recap

West Coast Wolverines Win First Match, Beat Vancouver Rush in Four

Dahler the Difference as Wolverines Crush Rush

His team in dire need of a match win after four straight losses at the Eastern Split, the West Coast Wolverines Jonas Dahler got them pointed in the right direction. Dahler, the Player of the Match, showed off serious Pickleball skills in this one, teaming with partner Sarah Dufour to beat the Rush’s Brett Forsythe and Jordann Vigna 21-15.

For his part, Forsythe was a force on the court, hitting Dahler with an Erne and setting up a Wolverines unforced error, helping the Rush to a 6-4 lead. Dahler then ignited a swing, smacking a great cross for a point and drilling a forehand that hit Vigna to put the Wolverines ahead for good.

Before the Rush took a timeout down 15-11, Dahler, with excellent help from Dufour, accounted for four more points and some unbelievable shot making. After the break, while they didn’t take over, Forsythe and Vigna took the play to the Wolverines, forcing a timeout with the score 18-15. After Dufour set the Rush up for an unforced error, the game ended quietly when an aggressive Forsythe was assessed for a foot violation.

Wolverines Overcome Determined Rush in Tight Tilt

Joel Pelletier is a fiery guy on the court and perhaps Rush rookie Joe Willemsen is his direct counterpart. But it was Pelletier and outstanding playing partner Sabrina Lam who took down Willemsen and Sophia Racine, 21-19.

Willemsen was all over the court in the early going, blasting five huge shots for winners, while Racine added another to allow the Rush to go up 8-5. Lam and Pelletier responded in due time, with Lam sending a forehand for a winner and Pelletier a backhand to tie it up. The two teams then displayed outstanding dinking and defensive skills, trading five points apiece to push the score to 13-13.

This really was one of the most hotly contested games of the Split’s first day, with both squads rallying and transitioning well from offense to defense, the score eventually getting to 19-19. Of course, much hollering went on as both Pelletier and Willemsen made great shots. Pelletier, however, was the difference, sending a backhand and then a forehand for the decisive points.

Rush Stay Alive with Close Win in Women’s Match-up

The Wolverines didn’t roll over in this hard-fought match, but the Rush had just that little bit more in a very entertaining 21-19 Vancouver win, keeping match hopes alive. Jordann Vigna and Sophia Racine were the more aggressive side, pushing the play to the Wolverines Sabrina Lam and Sarah Dufour, who defended well and complemented each other nicely.

Racine was a factor early in this contest, setting up the Wolverines for net returns and adding a blistering cross for another point as the Rush went up 4-1. Lam and Dufour found their legs and tied it 5-5, only to have Vigna come back with three great shots of her own in a sequence that saw the Rush take the lead at 10-7. But, after Vigna returned a serve into the net, the Rush took a timeout.

The break aided the Rush, who countered some good rallying by Lam and Dufour with aggressive play and a couple of rallies of their own to force a Wolverines timeout at 16-12. The pace really picked up after that, both sides putting on a shooting show, with the score getting to 20-19 in favor of the Rush. The two teams then played through seven nail biting holds until the Rush’s offensive onslaught won it.

Wolverines Win Out in Hotly Contested Men’s Game

That Jonas Dahler was named Player of the Match was no surprise, especially after the performance he and partner Joel Pelletier put on to beat the Rush and give the Wolverines a first match triumph. Dahler and Pelletier took control from the first volley and never trailed en route to a 21-18 victory.

Dahler and Pelletier took the game to the Rush’s Joe Willemsen and Brett Forsythe right away, both taking advantage of their superb dinking skills to set up unforced errors and pound unreturnable shots. The Rush also gave as good as they got, keeping the score close, at one point only trailing 9-8. Yet, the Wolverines dinked and transitioned to score the next four and force a Rush timeout.

Much of the same ensued, with Dahler slamming a huge overhand to put the Wolverines up 15-10. Willemsen and Forsythe refused to go down easy, battling back with a 7-3 rally to make things interesting. Dahler later pounded an overhand to get to 20-18 freeze and the Wolverines then won on a missed Rush ATP.