Salt Lake City, UT, WPH Press, 5/2/26
Super Saturday in Salt Lake City produced sensational R48, WR48, and SR48 matches, with the experience giving way to youth and ushering in a new era of pro handball.
R48 Quarterfinals
Sean Lenning was virtually unstoppable in his quarterfinal against R48 #1 Martin Mulkerrins, executing his dizzying array of aces, overhand kills, back wall kills, fist kills, and fly kills. After taking the first game 15-12, Lenning raced to an 8-0 lead in the second. Mulkerrins has experience making comebacks and relied on his experience to steady himself, eventually taking a 10-9 lead. Lenning regained control, scoring six of the final seven points of the match, hitting his eighth ace and sixteenth kill of the second game during the final streak to advance to his first semifinal of the season.
“He would have won the tiebreaker,” Lenning would tell ESPN’s Kara Mack. “I hit my wall in the second game, usually it happens in the first game. I’m just happy I won. I’m pretty strong (with my serve). It was a hard-fought battle. Martin is a champ.”
After splitting their first two encounters in Tucson and L.A. this season, Ray Ure and Ivan Burgos met in the rubber match in the season’s final event. Ure littered the stat sheet in the first game, making fifteen unforced errors against just eight kill shots to fall one game behind. Ure dominated the second, eliminating his errors and never allowing Burgos to play offense to win 15-1.
Ure continued his torrid streak early in the third, taking a 4-0 lead. Burgos overcame exhaustion and began to assert himself, tying Ure at six. Ure would surge again, taking a 12-8 lead. With Burgos serving at 8-12, Ure thought he had earned a side out with a Burgos error, but a late reversal by the referee awarded Burgos a hinder. Burgos took advantage of the late call, tying the game at twelve. Several furious front court rallies ensured, with Ure winning the race to three.
“Just take your time and get a setup,” Ure would later say. “Ivan knows a decent amount about where I’m going to hit. I had flashbacks to L.A. when he picked up everything. Just doing everything I can and hope the next shot will be good enough. Just relief and stoked to pull it through to beat such a great competitor.”
Mark Doyle was efficient in dismissing first-time Race quarterfinalist Coleman McGrath, as McGrath hit just four kill shots in two games in a forgettable quarterfinal debut.
“I think I served well and he was missing a few off the back wall,” Doyle would later say. “His power is unbelievable. He hits it so hard that it took me a few minutes to get used to it. He pushes the ball back with front wall side wall sides. I feel fresh and was not overtraining (due to the injury). There is only one thing you want to do when you are injured for four or five weeks and that’s play handball.”
Danos Cordova and Leo Canales met for the third time this season, with Danos winning the first matchup and Leo the second. Leo built a 10-6 lead in the first but was nearly shutout from there, scoring just two points for the remainder of the match. Danos controlled the action with hops and fly kills, never allowing Leo to hit his punch ceiling balls and re kills.
“I’m super inconsistent right now,” Danos would tell Kara Mack. “I used to be confident in my game, but lately I haven’t been. I’ve gotten more comfortable and I’m trying to find the balance now. I just keeping thinking to myself that I’ve beaten the best players. I remind myself if I play my best I can beat the best players.”
R48 Round of 8
Lenning def M. Mulkerrins 15-12, 15-11
Ure def Burgos 13-15, 15-1, 15-13
Doyle vs. McGrath 15-9, 15-5
Canales def Danos 15-10, 15-3
R48 Semifinals
Ray Ure entered his semifinal with Sean Lenning with a 3-0 lifetime record against Lenning, defeating the 41-year-old in tiebreakers in both of their two out of three game matches.
Ure and Lenning split the first to games, with both players scoring 11 points in their losses. The tiebreaker featured five lead changes, with both players appearing to be on the verge of seizing control at various points. Ure’s fitness and serve proved to be the difference late in the tiebreaker, as his fresh legs and power carried him to the final.
“(At the timeout at 14-10), Mark (Doyle) told me to go for the left crack so I went for it,” Doyle would tell ESPN’s Kara Mack. “The play styles are different between the matches, but the pressure is always there. I wanted to make sure the serves were dropping and letting the ball drop. Two tiebreakers (wins) against two amazing players, I couldn’t be happier.”
Danos Cordova started well in both games of his semifinal against Mark Doyle, leading 4-0 in the first and 6-0 in the second. After Doyle rallies, Danos led 13-11 in the first and 12-9 in the second, but stalled at both points. Doyle’s paddle kills and back wall kills propelled him into his second Race final.
“I wasn’t hitting well with my left or my right,” Danos would later say. “Mark has really good paddle kills. Most players leave the ball up a little when trying to re kill, but Mark’s paddle re kills stay down.”
“It doesn’t even feel like I’m in the final honestly, coming back late in both games,” stated Doyle. “Some things are meant to be. I was talking to my parents about whether to go or not. This weekend I was just trying to win my round of 32 and everything else was bonus territory. You can put a lot of pressure on yourself. This is probably as good as I’ve played since St. Louis. Ray and I played on Tuesday night (in Mankato) and it was close. We know each other’s game so well. Maybe I return his serve better than others.”
R48
Semifinals
Ure def Lenning 15-11, 11-15, 15-10
Doyle def Danos 15-13, 15-12
R48 Final (Sunday, 11:15 am MST): Ure vs. Doyle
WR48
Semifinals
Niamh Heffernan continued her WR48 winning streak against first-time WR semifinalist Christina Pecaut, extending her finals streak to five in her two-game sweep. Heffernan was poised from the start, consciously playing the right shot and mixing up her serves to keep Pecaut off-balance.
“It’s great to get into another final,” Heffernan would tell Kara Mack. “When I played her the first time, I didn’t know what to expect. If she gets in the front she’ll kill it all day. I’m playing well over here. I’ve gotten used to the ball and the courts. It’s about resting and not overtraining. It’s really enjoyable over here.”
One of the all-time, all-court players stood between Aoife Holden and her third final of the season, as Danielle Daskalakis was aiming for her WR final in five seasons. Holden played confidently in the first, but Daskalakis controlled the action with her front court play in the second. Holden played aggressively in the third, hitting the ball with more power and playing more offense. Holden was able to keep Daskalakis in the back court and drive balls into the corners and down the walls to overcome the former WR champion.
“I think it was just relief at the end,” Holden would tell Kara Mack. “Danielle is such a great player. I was just trying to keep her out of the front court and use the roof. I’ve been working on my serve lately to hit it harder. I’m just delighted. It’s great to reach the final and I am looking forward to the match.”
WR48
Semifinals
Heffernan def Pecaut 15-1, 15-4
Holden def Daskalakis 15-7, 5-15, 15-8
WR48 Final (Sunday, 9:45 am MST): Heffernan vs. Holden
SR48
Semifinals
Sean Lenning advanced to his fifth SR final in five SR starts, dropping Boxer Rosales in a rematch of their 2025 Tucson Memorial SR semifinal.
Jeff Streibig narrowly avoided a loss in his first SR match on Friday against George Garcia, but had no difficulties against surprise semifinalist Ryan Cambell in Saturday’s semifinals, advancing to the final to play Sean Lenning for the second time in the event.
SR48
Semifinals
Lenning def Rosales 15-7, 15-8
Streibig def Campbell 15-9, 15-2
SR48 Final (Sunday, 9 am MST): Lenning vs. Streibig
Aces Banquet
Thank you to the Stalsberg family and all of the Ace Team, sponsors, and volunteers for an outstanding Saturday night banquet. The players and fans enjoyed a wonderful taco bar, desserts, and of course sharing their passion for handball.
Follow all of the brackets from the 2026 WPH Race 4 Eight Aces Player’s Championship HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer
The ESPN+ Broadcast Schedule for Sunday…
Sunday, May 3, 2026 – Broadcast Window: 9am to 1:30pm (Mountain Time)
Senior 40+ Pro Finals:
09:00 Sean Lenning (WA) vs Jeff Streibig (MO)
Women’s Pro Final:
09:45 Niamh Heffernan (IRL) vs Aoife Holden (IRL)
Men’s Pro 5th Final:
10:30 Martin Mulkerrins (IRL) Leo Canales (TX/MEX)
Men’s Pro Final (TBD):
11:15 Ray Ure (IL) vs Mark Doyle (IRL)