Heated Play at Embry Riddle Tournament in Daytona

On Saturday, March 23, 2024, Florida State Students (FSU) attended the Embry Riddle Tournament in Daytona, approximately 4 hours from Tallahassee. 28 students were divided into 14 teams to represent the FSU Pickleball Club. The event focused only on doubles matches, including both male and female teams.

The co-ed teams played against the University of Central Florida, the University of Florida, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Shortly after the tournament, FSU’s teams resumed their weekly Tuesday practice. We talked with two team members and participants of the tournament, Riley DeCoster and Charles Neder.

DeCoster is a sophomore majoring in business management and minoring in commercial entrepreneurship. She excitedly defined the competition of the tournament, stating that it was “open to three different divisions, 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0 and there were multiple schools there from Florida. It was one of the largest Collegiate Florida competitions. There was UCF, USF, UF, FSU, and several other schools.” DeCoster decided to drive to Daytona the night before the tournament to have ample time to prepare for the bright and early start the following day.

Decoster also stated, “It was a fun experience for sure”. The pressure was on and nerves ran high, for this was her first-ever tournament competition. Yet, Decoster had a lighthearted outlook and saw it as a chance to create wonderful memories, work on her skills, and have a fun weekend trip. 

Additionally, the layout of the tournament placed students in different pools, so it was guaranteed players would get to compete against everyone in the pools. Decoster played five doubles games with her partner, Paris Vinuela. As Decoster and Vinuela worked together to defeat their competitors, they overcame some challenges during play.

DecosterRiley explained “I definitely think the tournament would have gone a little bit differently if it was an all-girls tournament rather than a guy and girls' tournament, for sure.” However, Decoster did say she rates the tournament a “nine out of ten, because there is always room for improvement, but it was a lot of fun!”. Overall, Riley is very thankful she had the opportunity to participate in mixed matches and a chance to build her skills for future tournaments to come.

Another participant in the tournament was Florida State University athlete Charles Neder. Neder is a senior, double majoring in finance and Management Information Systems, scheduled to graduate this Spring semester from FSU. Even though he is not part of the executive board, he has been a part of the Florida State Pickleball Club since fall 2023 and is one of the most passionate members of this season, with two tournaments under his belt. 

In the Embry Riddle Tournament, Charles had a lot of competition and participated in five games. Accompanied by his partner Zakary DeLeo, the team played five games in the pool round to successfully make it to the playoffs. The duo won the 1st game against Embry Riddle University, exceeding expectations, but unfortunately lost in the semi-finals against the University of Florida. The University of Florida ended up taking home the win as champions of the Embry Riddle Tournament. As this school is one of Florida State’s rivalries in sports, it left the students with more inspiration to work harder on the courts to prepare better for the next tournament. Neder explained that with the advantage of his height, he can lean into this strength on the court to attack and spike balls to the opponents. Neder had a great time and great performance at the tournament and is looking forward to being on the courts again!