Same city, same opponent, same result. A year after beating Kentucky at the Ohio Super Regional, Ohio State did it again, this time with an almost entirely new roster.

The Buckeyes swept Kentucky 3-0 in the final at Match Point Pickleball in Columbus to take the hometown title. Here’s how the weekend played out, from Indiana’s comeback to Wisconsin’s 25-23 escape and a Big Ten quarterfinal bracket that looked like a conference tournament.

Ohio State wins the Ohio Super Regional with a new-look roster

Winning again is one thing. Winning again with one returning player is another.

Nicole Sasaki is the only player back from last year’s Ohio State roster. That meant new faces had to carry the load, and Matthew Riegert answered. The former partner of MLP pro CJ Klinger stepped into the spot left by Kallan Arledge, a former College 1st Team All-American, and played like he’d been there all along.

In the final, Ohio State left no room for drama. The Buckeyes swept Kentucky 3-0 in front of a home crowd.

How Ohio State and Kentucky reached the final

Both finalists took the same route. Ohio State beat Iowa 3-1 in the semifinals, and Kentucky beat Wisconsin 3-1 on the other side of the bracket.

That set up a rematch of last year’s Ohio Super Regional. Kentucky got its shot at revenge. Ohio State gave the same answer.

Indiana’s reverse sweep and Wisconsin’s 25-23 answer

The best drama came before the semis.

In the round of 16, #6 Indiana trailed #22 Pitt 2-0 heading into mixed doubles. Pitt had game point in the first mixed game, one rally away from a sweep. Luke Domke had other plans. He fought back to win that game for Indiana, and the Hoosiers rolled from there, taking the dreambreaker 21-7 to complete the reverse sweep.

There’s a reason some people call Indiana “Dreambreaker U.”

The nickname didn’t scare #3 Wisconsin. In the quarterfinals, the Badgers and Hoosiers went the distance, and Wisconsin came out on top 25-23. Ava Andres scored the final point to send the Badgers to the semifinals.

The Big Ten owned the Ohio Super Regional quarterfinals

Seven of the eight quarterfinalists came from the Big Ten: Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana, Purdue, Wisconsin, Penn State, and Iowa. Kentucky was the only team outside the conference to reach the final eight, and it rode that run all the way to the championship match.

Ohio State’s weekend went beyond the main draw, too. Kadin Phu and Tharan Tamilselvan won the challenger bracket Saturday night with a perfect 9-0 record.

A record-sized field in Columbus

The numbers show how fast college pickleball is growing. A total of 250 players competed on 49 MLP teams representing 20 schools, making this the third-largest Super Regional in College Pickleball Tour history.

That’s 100 more players than when the tour stopped in Columbus last year. Every one of those matches counted toward players’ DUPR ratings, so the weekend shaped more than just the bracket.

Up next on the College Pickleball Tour

The spotlight now shifts to Texas. The College World Championship 400 runs Oct. 30 to Nov. 1 at Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch, with the Arizona Super Regional 300 at Center Court Glendale to follow on Nov. 21 and 22. 

Ohio State proved that a program can reload and still win at home. With the College World Championship days away, the Buckeyes, Kentucky, and a deep Big Ten field all head to Texas with momentum. See where your favorite players stand on the DUPR college rankings and follow the rest of the season on the College Pickleball Tour.