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.”
