Pickleball Powerhouse: UVA Club Nearly Earns Second Straight National Title

November 8, 2024
UVA students, from left to right, Alexandra McDonald, Eli Mautner, Conor Burns and Vivianne Ngo holding a large check together

UVA students, from left to right, Alexandra McDonald, Eli Mautner, Conor Burns and Vivianne Ngo finished as runners-up in a national collegiate pickleball tournament earlier this month. (Contributed photo)

The University of Virginia pickleball club continues to roll.

A year after winning the 2023 Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating Collegiate National Championship, UVA finished second in the 64-team event, held Nov. 1-3 in Dallas, and earned $5,000 in prize money. 

The four players representing the team in the top division of the tournament – fourth-year students Conor Burns, Eli Mautner and Alexandra McDonald, and second-year student Vivianne Ngo – defeated Texas Christian University, then North Carolina State University in the quarterfinals and Clemson University in the semifinals before falling to Utah Tech in the championship.

“We had tons of fans and parents with us, giving UVA the largest and loudest cheering section there,” Burns said. “Our camaraderie and energy are so palpable – they truly make our team special. 

‘Inside UVA’ A Podcast Hosted by Jim Ryan
‘Inside UVA’ A Podcast Hosted by Jim Ryan

“The CEO of DUPR even personally complimented us on our team spirit and how much we add to the collegiate energy. Overall, it was an amazing weekend for our entire team, and we couldn’t be more excited about where this program is headed.”

A UVA women’s doubles team of fourth-year student Brice Howe and third-year Armelle Worrel won the challenger division – a notch below the top level of the DUPR event – also in Dallas.

The club, established in 2020, finished fifth in the DUPR Collegiate National Championship in 2022. 

UVA pickleball returns to competition on Nov. 16-17 at the Snyder Tennis Center when it hosts a major collegiate tournament featuring 10 other programs and more than 130 players. The event is open to the public. 

Media Contact

Andrew Ramspacher

University News Associate University Communications

Article Information

January 21, 2025

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