Updates from the 2024 USHA Nationals Three-Wall Championships
Maumee, OH, WPH Press, 9/2/24
Day 5
Women’s Open Singles: Mikaila Esser def Megan Dorneker 21-11, 15-21, 11-0
Mikaila Esser defeated 3-Wall legend Megan Dorneker in the Women’s Open final, winning the first game, dropping the second, and emphatically seizing the title in the third.
“I was up 14-7 in second but she just started to switch up her serve between left and right, short and deep,” Esser would later say. “I also just couldn’t get power and kept sending it down the middle and she was shooting well.”
Esser regrouped in the tiebreaker, eliminating Dorneker’s dominating serve-and-shoot game by not allowing Dorneker into the service box.
“I had (a good) serve in the breaker,” stated Esser. “I think she only got one side out.”
Esser was thrilled to win her first open singles title at the USHA National Three-Wall Championships.
“Megan made me work for it with those tough serves,” stated Esser. “This was my first time in an open singles final! It feels amazing.”
Open Finals
4-Wall Men’s Open Singles: Killian def Lucho 21-4, 21-7
4-Wall Women’s Open Singles: Esser def Dorneker 21-11, 15-21, 11-0
4-Wall Men’s Open Doubles: Ruiz/Esser def Killian/Tyree 21-14, 21-12
4-Wall Women’s Open Doubles: Esser/Schmitt def Hughes/Kirk 21-10, 21-9
3-Wall Big Ball Doubles: Jab Bike/Ure def Timbo/Pena 21-7, 21-12
1-Wall Big Ball Singles: Timbo def Bush
1-Wall Big Ball Doubles: Torres/Bush def Timbo/Pena 21-17, 21-18
1-Wall Mixed Doubles: Bush/Garate def Pena/Miranda 21-19, 21-11
Thank you to the USHA for an outstanding event in Maumee
Watch the matches from the 73rd USHA National Three-Wall Championships on Braulio Ruiz’s Facebook page HERE
For more on the USHA, visit ushandball.org
Follow all of the brackets from 73rd USHA National Three-Wall Championships HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer
Maumee, OH, WPH Press, 9/1/24
Day 4
Men’s Open Singles Final: Killian def Lucho 21-4, 21-7
Killian Carroll became the first Irish-born player to win the USHA National Three-Wall Championships and the first player to win the 4-Wall and 3-Wall pro singles nationals in the same year since Vince Munoz in 2011. Carroll’s command of the court and his impenetrable defense was too much for Lucho in the final, as he cruised to his first title in his first trip to Toledo.
“The match was mostly all Killian,” stated WPH correspondent JAB Bike watching courtside. “He hit a lot of really good serves that either were aces or led to quick points. Early in game two, both Killian and Lucho were trading points back and forth, but that only lasted for a few points. Killian’s athleticism and speed were on display whenever he had to move back and forth on the court. It felt like Killian was in control of most of the rallies during the match, dictating the pace.”
“Real tough (match),” Lucho would later say. “I’m not playing well so that didn’t help, but he served great, tons of aces.”
Women’s Open Singles
Semifinals
Dorneker def Munroe 21-13, 19-21, 11-3
Esser def Schmitt 21-4, 21-4
Final (Monday): Dorneker vs. Esser
For more on the USHA, visit ushandball.org
Follow all of the brackets from 73rd USHA National Three-Wall Championships HERE
Trophy picture courtesy of Jab Bike
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer
Updates from the 2024 USHA Nationals Three-Wall Championships
Maumee, OH, WPH Press, 8/31/24
Day 3
Sunday in Toledo saw all of the top men’s and women’s seeds advance. Top-seeded Lucho Cordova avenged his Ice Bowl loss to Sam Esser from three weeks ago with a two-game sweep, pacing himself throughout the two games to avoid succumbing to the heat. Killian Carroll was ruthless, allowing Ivan Burgos just three points in two games.
The top four seeds in the Women’s Open singles advanced comfortably, with top-seeded Megan Dorneker, second-seeded Mikaila Esser, and third-seeded Jennifer Schmitt winning in two games, and fourth-seeded Clodagh Munroe needing a tiebreaker to defeat Kristen Hughes.
Men’s Open Singles
Semifinals
Lucho def Esser 21-12, 21-10
Carroll def Burgos 21-3, 21-0
Final (Sunday): Lucho vs. Carroll
Women’s Open Singles
Quarterfinals
Dorneker def Keeling 21-4, 21-0
Munroe def Hughes 21-17, 20-21, 11-4
Schmitt def Kirk 21-9, 21-9
Esser def M. Garate 21-5, 21-5
Semifinals (Sunday)
Dorneker vs. Munroe
Esser vs. Schmitt
For more on the USHA, visit ushandball.org
Follow all of the brackets from 73rd USHA National Three-Wall Championships HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer
Updates from the 2024 USHA Nationals Three-Wall Championships: Day 2 from Toledo
Maumee, OH, WPH Press, 8/30/24
Day 2
The Men’s Open singles continued on Day 2 at the 73rd USHA National Three-Wall Championships in stifling heat and humidity.
Top-seeded Lucho Cordova started strong against Abraham Montijo but faded in the second, eventually overcoming Montijo in a tiebreaker. “Lucho almost passed out,” stated Shorty Ruiz, who experienced his own heat issues later in the day.
2024 Ice Bowl finalist Sam Esser rallied from a 16-20 first game deficit against former 3-Wall national champion Tyree Bastidas to win 21-20. After dropping game two in under ten minutes, Esser regrouped, dominating the third with fly kills and a commanding deep game. “Sam’s playing really good right now,” stated WPH Icebreaker MVP Jab Bike.
Shorty Ruiz started well against Ivan Burgos, leading 11-0 in game one before a furious rally from Burgos turned the tide. Burgos evened the score at eighteen and eventually completed the comeback to take the first game. Shorty built a 9-2 lead in the second but stalled there, as Burgos won nineteen of the final twenty-one points of the match to move into the semifinals. “I started off really strong and was up on both games and hit a wall towards the end of the games,” stated Ruiz. “I underestimated the heat and humidity. Ivan played great too.”
Killian Carroll maintained his undefeated 3-Wall streak with a two-game sweep against Ray Ure.
Round of 8
Lucho def Montijo 21-6, 19-21, 11-2
Esser def Tyree 21-20, 5-21, 11-3
Burgos def Ruiz 21-18, 21-11
Carroll def Ure 21-9, 21-15
Semifinals (Saturday)
Lucho vs. Esser
Carroll vs. Burgos
Women’s Open Singles
Round of 16 and quarterfinals to start on Saturday
The WPH will proudly cover the daily action from the 73rd USHA National Three-Wall Championships
For more on the USHA, visit ushandball.org
Follow all of the brackets from 73rd USHA National Three-Wall Championships HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer
Maumee, OH, WPH Press, 8/29/24
The Toledo Handball Club and USHA welcomed players and families back to the traditional Labor Day Weekend classic, the 73rd USHA National Three-Wall Championships on the George D. Miller Handball Courts at the Lucas County Rec Center.
The Three-Wall National Tournament is one of the sport’s favorite events of the year, and with a great draw for the 73rd edition, the Toledo Handball Club promises another outstanding event.
Men’s Open Singles
With fourteen-time and defending 3-Wall national champion Sean Lenning not entered due to injury, the men’s field was wide open. Current USHA 4-Wall national champion and 23-time Race 4 Eight champion Killian Carroll entered the USHA National Three-Wall Championships for the first time having never lost a 3-Wall pro singles match in his career. Carroll has amassed a 10-0 3-Wall singles record in his three WPH Icebreaker wins. Current USHA 1-Wall champion and former USHA 3-Wall national champion Tyree Bastidas returned to Toledo for the first time in several years, while Race 4 Eight #2 and six-time WPH Icebreaker champion Lucho Cordova nabbed the top seed. Joining Carroll, Tyree, and Lucho in the stacked field were Tucson’s Shorty Ruiz, Sam Esser, Ivan Burgos, and Max Langmack, as well as the Race 4 Eight’s 2024 breakout star Ray Ure.
Round of 16
Lucho (bye)
Montijo def Doyle 21-11, 21-20
Esser def J. Pimentel 21-3, 21-6
Tyree def Brule 21-4, 21-12
Ruiz def D. Schmitt 21-2, 21-5
Burgos def T. Schmitt 21-20, 21-12
Ure def D. Szatkowski 21-8, 21-10
Carroll def Caraballo 21-2, 21-2
Round of 8 (Friday)
Lucho vs. Montijo
Tyree vs. Esser
Ruiz vs. Burgos
Carroll vs. Ure
Women’s Open Singles: Round of 16 and quarterfinals to start on Saturday
The WPH will proudly cover the daily action from the 73rd USHA National Three-Wall Championships
For more on the USHA, visit ushandball.org
Follow all of the brackets from 73rd USHA National Three-Wall Championships HERE
Stay tuned to this thread throughout Labor Day Weekend to follow all of your favorite players
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer