2023 LPRT Battle at the Beach Season Finale begins

One of the most interesting Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) seasons winds up this weekend in Norfolk, Virginia where 22 players - including the top 14 players - are competing in the 2023 LPRT Battle at the Beach Season Finale. This season is so interesting, because Montserrat Mejia has raised her game, and won 4 events, having only won once previously. Four wins is one more than Paola Longoria has won this season. Longoria has been the #1 LPRT player for 11 consecutive seasons, yet may not be next week.

Longoria is still #1 currently, but she’s only 70 ranking points ahead of Mejia in #2. Moreover, Mejia is actually ahead in season to date ranking points by 26, so Longoria needs to finish better than Mejia this weekend, if she is going to be #1 yet again.

The season has also been interesting, because Longoria and Mejia haven’t been the only two winners on tour. Alexandra Herrera and Gabriela Martinez have also won titles. In fact, Martinez won the last LPRT event in South Carolina.

So, while there is a race for #1, which there really hasn’t been for over a decade, the players in that race have only met three times this season. Longoria defeated Mejia in the first event of the season last August, but it was an 11-10 tie-breaker win. Then in the fall, Mejia beat Longoria in a breaker in Lombard, Illinois. Mejia followed that up by defeating Longoria in two straight games at the Christmas Classic.

That was their last meeting, so they haven’t met in over six months. If they meet in the final on Saturday, it will be for for #1.

Play began on Thursday, and already there is intrigue, as half of the top eight seeds failed to make the quarterfinals. But both Longoria and Mejia won their Round of 16 matches by comfortable margins. Longoria beat 16th seed Maria Paz Riquelme, 15-0, 15-0, and Mejia defeated veteran Cristina Amaya, 15-2, 15-4.

Next up for Longoria will be 9th seed Jessica Parrilla, who won the 8/9 match with 8th seed Natalia Mendez, 15-10,15-8. If Longoria wins that, then she’ll face either Maria Jose Vargas, who has beaten her this season, or Kelani Lawrence, who had an impressive win over LPRT #4 Erika Manilla, 15-3, 15-7. Vargas advanced by coming back to defeat LPRT #5 Brenda Laime, 10-15, 15-8, 11-5.

Mejia plays LPRT #7 Carla Muñoz in the quarterfinals, as Muñoz defeated LPRT #10 Samantha Salas, 14-15, 15-5, 11-9. A win there, and then Mejia would face either #6 Angelica Barrios or #14 Valeria Centellas, who took out LPRT #3 Alexandra Herrera in two straight games, 15-13, 15-10. Barrios denied Martinez’s chance for back to back LPRT wins with a 15-14, 7-15, 11-5, victory.

Thus, while a Longoria v. Mejia final would a fitting end to the 2022-23 LPRT season, that is by no means guaranteed.

The singles quarterfinals are Friday morning with the semi-finals Friday afternoon and final Saturday at 4 PM. The doubles starts Friday at noon with two Round of 16 matches, and then the quarters will be Friday evening. The doubles semis will be Saturday morning at 10 and 11 with the final Saturday night at 6 PM.

You can watch the LPRT Season Finale by going to the LPRT YouTube channel or their Facebook page.

2023 LPRT Battle at the Beach Season Finale - Norfolk, Virginia
June 15-17, 2023

LPRT Singles - Round of 32 - Thursday

1) Paola Longoria - BYE
16) Maria Paz Riquelme d. 17) Sunshine Arterburn, 15-0, 15-0

9) Jessica Parrilla - BYE
8) Natalia Mendez - BYE

5) Brenda Laime - BYE
12) Maria Jose Vargas d. 21) Jazmin Aguilar, 15-0, 15-2

13) Kelani Lawrence d. 20) Maricruz Ortiz, 15-9, 15-2
4) Erika Manilla - BYE

3) Alexandra Herrera - BYE
14) Valeria Centellas d. 14) Susana Acosta, 15-5, 15-2

11) Gabriela Martinez d. 22) Anna Aguilar, 15-1, 15-4
6) Angelica Barrios - BYE

7) Carla Muñoz - BYE
10) Samantha Salas - BYE

15) Cristina Amaya d. 18) Stephanie Synhorst, 15-8, 15-11
2) Montserrat Mejia - BYE

LPRT Singles - Round of 16 - Thursday

1) Paola Longoria d. 16) Maria Paz Riquelme, 15-0, 15-0
9) Jessica Parrilla d. 8) Natalia Mendez, 15-10,15-8

12) Maria Jose Vargas d. 5) Brenda Laime, 10-15, 15-8, 11-5
13) Kelani Lawrence d. 4) Erika Manilla, 15-3, 15-7

14) Valeria Centellas d. 3) Alexandra Herrera, 15-13, 15-10
6) Angelica Barrios d. 11) Gabriela Martinez, 15-14, 7-15, 11-5

7) Carla Muñoz d. 10) Samantha Salas, 14-15, 15-5, 11-9
2) Montserrat Mejia d. 15) Cristina Amaya, 15-2, 15-4

LPRT Singles - Quarterfinals - Friday

1) Paola Longoria v. 9) Jessica Parrilla - 11 AM
12) Maria Jose Vargas v. 13) Kelani Lawrence - 11 AM

6) Angelica Barrios v. 14) Valeria Centellas - 10 AM
2) Montserrat Mejia v. 7) Carla Muñoz - 10 AM

LPRT Doubles - Round of 16 - Friday

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas - BYE
8) Gabriela Martinez & Maricruz Ortiz v. 9) Cristina Amaya & Maria Paz Riquelme - Noon

5) Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas - BYE
4) Carla Muñoz & Jessica Parrilla - BYE

3) Kelani Lawrence & Erika Manilla - BYE
6) Angelica Barrios & Brenda Laime - BYE

7) Susana Acosta & Valeria Centellas v. Sunshine Arterburn & Grace Ratley - Noon
2) Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia - BYE

Follow the bouncing ball…..