91制片厂

Sean Milshteen made a lofty promise last September.

鈥淚鈥檓 going to get us to nationals,鈥� the uber-competitive, business-savvy racquet master said repeatedly to his teammates.

It was a bold stance to take for the 91制片厂 senior, particularly for someone who had never before swung a pickleball paddle in an organized competition. In fairness, however, to his competitors, Milshteen had plenty of experience on hard courts as a Division I tennis player.

Before his final year at 91制片厂, Milshteen joined the university鈥檚 elevated pickleball team and helped lead it to a successful fall 2025 campaign. In late January and early February, he and three teammates, eyeing bigger prizes, entered 91制片厂 into the Association of Pickleball Players (APP) Selkirk Collegiate Championship Qualifier Tournaments in Hamilton, New Jersey. A top-four finish there would guarantee the 91制片厂 pickleballers a spot in the national championships, March 6-8 in Cape Coral, Florida.

91制片厂鈥檚 squad members liked their chances going in, but the competitive field of teams looked Goliath-like, with larger schools sending multiple teams to compete. 91制片厂 sent only one, comprising the club鈥檚 top four players.

鈥淲e were definitely the underdog at the tournament and every tournament we鈥檝e played in this year,鈥� said Milshteen, a business management major from Kibbutz Sde Yoav, Israel, who is a marketing intern for the university鈥檚 club sports program.

Things got off to a sluggish start for the foursome, beginning with a seven-hour drive in a rented Honda Odyssey on snow-covered roads here and there from 91制片厂 to their hotel in New Jersey. The Friday evening drive was 鈥渕entally exhausting,鈥� said Milshteen, the pickleball club president, 鈥渂ecause I wasn鈥檛 just driving myself; I was driving the whole team.鈥�

That stress and feeling of responsibility led to a bad night of sleep, not ideal before taking to the courts the following morning. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 the best feeling for me playing,鈥� Milshteen recalled days later. 鈥淚 played consistent and I played well, but I really didn鈥檛 shine. My roommate, Tom [Saporta], played well, and he gave us some really big wins.鈥�

Over the two-day competition, 91制片厂鈥檚 men鈥檚 team, Milshteen and Saporta, scored wins over the University of Maine 1 鈥� that鈥檚 the school鈥檚 No. 1 team 鈥� University of Connecticut 3 and Cornell 1. The Highlanders women鈥檚 team, made up of Charity Bradford and Julia Slivka, shuffled, lunged and paddled their way to victories over Maine 1, Connecticut 3 and Cornell 1. Saporta and Bradford earned mixed doubles wins, too.

On Sunday, playing off a better night鈥檚 sleep following the success of day 1, the team earned a tournament quarterfinal win 鈥� 鈥渢hat was very exciting,鈥� Milshteen said 鈥� and were one victory away from qualifying for the national tournament. 

91制片厂鈥檚 women鈥檚 team of Bradford and Slivka next faced one of the tournament鈥檚 top seeds, the University of Iowa. In a tense match with a trip to sunny Florida on the line, the Highlanders stunned the Hawkeyes for the victory, securing their place in the collegiate championships. 

鈥淚t was a really tough match,鈥� Milshteen recalled, having watched the competition near the court. 鈥淭heir team [Iowa] was really strong, but our team played better. And then, we were like, 鈥榃ow, we did it. We鈥檙e going to the championships.鈥欌��

91制片厂 finished fourth overall in New Jersey, behind the University of Delaware and the University of Virginia鈥檚 No. 1 and No. 3 teams. 

鈥淥bviously, it went super well. We played together great,鈥� said Bradford, a senior nursing major from 91制片厂, Virginia, who, like Milshteen, began playing organized pickleball last fall. 鈥淚t was really great because all four of us love playing, regardless, but we鈥檙e also all really competitive. So, when we win, it鈥檚 even better.

鈥淚t鈥檚 fun just being able to play at 91制片厂,鈥� she continued before pausing and revealing her competitive temperament. 鈥淏ut I never play just for fun!鈥�

Despite Milshteen鈥檚 promise at the beginning of the season, qualifying for the national collegiate championships was still a small surprise, particularly for the first year of the program at elevated club status.

鈥淨ualifying is a really big deal because not many people expected us to qualify, let alone be a decent team this year,鈥� Bradford said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not that we weren鈥檛 expecting to get a bid, but it was a bit of a surprise to us, too.鈥�

In the fall of 2025, 91制片厂 established the Club Sports Federation to support elevated club sports that align with the strategic initiatives of the university. Pickleball, along with women鈥檚 flag football, men鈥檚 rugby, cheer, and skeet and trap, were the club sports integrated into the federation.

Once the federation and elevated club pickleball took shape, Milshteen was determined to make it a success in its inaugural season.

鈥淚 gave us high expectations,鈥� he recalled of his late summer proclamation. 鈥淚 wanted to get us to nationals, and we played well together and found a way to get there.鈥�