WPH Press, Fountain Valley, CA, 5/27/24
The United States Handball Association was proud to present the 73rd USHA National Four-Wall Championships at the Los Caballeros Sports Village in Fountain Valley, CA. The 2024 USHA National Four-Wall Championships featured 258 players from across the world competing for the USHA’s most prestigious prize.
Men’s Pro Singles
Defending USHA National Four-Wall champion, defending world champion and current Race 4 Eight Player’s Cup champion Martin Mulkerrins headlined the Men’s Pro singles field. 23-time Race 4 Eight champion and former world champion Killian Carroll earned the second seed, while 2023 USHA National Four-Wall finalist Sean Lenning was seeded third. Joining the top three men’s seeds were Ireland’s Diarmuid Nash, R48 #3 Leo Canales, the LAFD’s Vic Perez, Race 4 Eight breakout star Ray Ure, collegiate national champion Mark Doyle, Ireland’s David Walsh and many more of the game’s top stars.
The top two seeds advanced to Sunday’s final, as Martin Mulkerrins dominated his three opponents en route to the final. Mulkerrins overcame former Race 4 Eight finalist Max Langmack in two games in the round of 16, cruised past USHA Development Director Sam Esser in the quarterfinals and blitzed Leo Canales in the semifinals.
Killian Carroll was dominant in the bottom bracket, defeating San Diego’s Coleman McGrath in the round of 16, Race 4 Eight breakthrough player of the year Ray Ure in the quarterfinals and surviving three game points in the second game in his semifinal match with last year’s finalist Sean Lenning to meet Mulkerrins in the final.
Carroll and Mulkerrins met for the third time in 2024, with the pair splitting two thrilling matches on the Race 4 Eight tour earlier this year. Carroll overcame four match points in the tiebreaker to stun Mulkerrins in the quarterfinals of the January Chapman in St. Louis
Men’s Pro Singles and Mulkerrins clinched his second Player’s Championship and first Race 4 Eight Player’s Cup in defeating Carroll in a tiebreaker at May’s Aces Player’s Championship.
The first game featured a number of grueling rallies, with both Carroll and Mulkerrins opting for pass shots instead of kills, with each testing one another’s legs and lungs. Carroll led 13-9 but Mulkerrins quickly erased the deficit, taking the first game in defense of his national title.
Mulkerrins had defeated Carroll in their last matchup at Los Cab in 2019, winning two close games against the 23-time Race 4 Eight champion. Carroll turned the match around in the second, dominating the center of the court and keeping Mulkerrins moving laterally behind him. Carroll quickly forced a tiebreaker and continued his dominating play in the tiebreaker, winning another USHA Four-Wall national title at Los Cab.
“I would say his (Killian’s) pressure on Martin definitely increased (after the first game),” stated finals referee and Race 4 Eight pro Max Langmack. “Killian was actively looking to maintain control of the rallies and exerted a lot of focus to do so. His shot selection changed from hitting passes to looking for a high percentage of kill shots. (I) didn’t think Martin’s level dropped. Killian just had control (of the rallies) a lot more.”
Round of 16
Mulkerrins def Langmack 21-11, 21-16
Carroll def McGrath 21-5, 21-12
Lenning def D. Hernandez 21-16, 21-12
Nash def Ruiz 21-14, 21-4
Canales def Palma 21-11, 21-14
Perez def Kerr 21-12, 21-2
Ure def Walsh 21-8, 21-15
Esser def Doyle 21-14, 21-19
Quarterfinals
Mulkerrins def Esser 21-9, 21-9
Carroll def Ure 21-14, 21-6
Lenning def V. Perez 21-12, 21-14
Canales def Nash 7-21, 21-16, 11-6
Semifinals
Mulkerrins def Canales 21-6, 21-4
Carroll vs. Lenning 21-7, 21-20
Final: Carroll def M. Mulkerrins 15-21, 21-8, 11-4
Women’s Pro Singles
Former Women’s Race 4 Eight #2 and former collegiate national champion Fiona Tully earned the top seed and current collegiate national champion and WR48 #8 Clodagh Munroe grabbed the second seed. Stylish lefty and 2021 USHA national women’s pro champion Danielle Daskalakis and Tucson pros Ashley Ruiz and Mikaila Esser rounded out the top five seeds.
After dominating Irish rival Leah Minogue in the quarterfinals, top-seeded Tully continued her march in Los Cab, overwhelming Ashley Ruiz in two lopsided games to advance to the final.
Danielle Daskalakis was aiming for her second national four-wall title and showcased her sensational skills in overcoming Aoife Holden in the quarterfinals and stunning second-seeded and current USHA Women’s Classic champion Clodagh Munroe in Sunday’s semifinals.
Daskalakis overcame a close first game loss that saw her serve for the game to win a razor-close second and third game, proving she is one of the best all-around players in the history of the sport.
“I felt really good,” stated Daskalakis. “It was validating. I felt good all tournament actually in terms of playing. I’ve been putting a lot of hours since Salt Lake City with the goal of winning the nationals in mind. Practicing with some of the guys from LA Fitness and playing at the LAAC with Vic Perez and those guys any chance I got.
Daskalakis had to adjust to Fiona’s style, as well as her nerves in the three close games. “Fiona plays super close, similar to a 1-Wall player,” stated DD. “Fiona is great upfront, so I was trying to be patient and throw more passes and ceilings to the back wall and then throw in some hook serves, in addition to wraps.
Of course, I was nervous in the tiebreaker – 11 points and I give up way too many hand errors. But, I was very focused on the task at hand and I felt that played the biggest part in keeping myself together and not let anything get in the way of that.”
Quarterfinals
Tully def Minogue 21-4, 21-8
Ruiz def Esser 21-3, 21-15
Daskalakis def Holden 21-6, 21-15
Munroe def Entzeroth 21-8, 21-6
Semifinals
Tully def Ruiz 21-9, 21-4
Daskalakis def Munroe 21-6, 21-11
Final: Daskalakis def Tully 20-21, 21-15, 11-8
Pro Doubles
Killian Carroll slammed by winning the doubles, teaming with Martin Mulkerrins to repeat as national doubles champions. Carroll and Mulkerrins surrendered a 10-3 tiebreaker lead to Sam Esser and Shorty Ruiz in the semifinals. Team Carrkerrins dropped Ivan Burgos and Ray Ure in a tiebreaker for the second consecutive year in the final.
Fiona Tully teamed with Clodagh Munroe to win the women’s pro doubles, as both Irish stars poured their frustration from losing in the singles to dominate the doubles, overcoming Ashley Ruiz and Mikaila Esser in the final.
Men’s doubles final: Team Carrkerrins def Team Ure/Burgos 21-10, 10-21, 11-5
Women’s doubles final: Team Tully/Munroe def Team Esser/Ruiz 21-15, 21-11
2024 USHA Four-Wall National Champions
Men’s Pro Singles: Killian Carroll
Women’s Pro Singles: Danielle Daskalakis
Open Singles: Cian O’Driscoll
Men’s Pro Doubles: Mulkerrins/Carroll
Women’s Open Doubles: Tully/Munroe
35+ Singles: Adam Bernhard
40+ Singles: Adam Bernhard
45+ Singles: George Garcia, Jr.
50+ Singles: Chris Watkins
55+ Singles: Leo Canales
60+ Singles: Steve Roberts
65+ Singles: Dave Streibig
70+ Singles: Mike Barna
75+ Singles: Ed Cambell
80+ Singles: James Ward
40+ doubles: Silveyra/Lopez
50+ doubles: Watkins/Garcia
55+ doubles: Bike/Robles
60+ doubles: Scogin/Roberts
65+ doubles: Scogin/Garcia
70+ doubles: Lohmueller/Barna
75+ doubles: Cambell/Deckert
80+ doubles: Smith/Graham
Review all of the brackets from the 73rd USHA Four-Wall Nationals HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer