Lacy Schneemann is Coming on Strong

Lacy Schneemann (Illustration Dan Langston)

Major League Pickleball is brimming with talent. That much is indisputable, with star players being discovered in tournament after tournament. At the MLP-PPA level, the assembly line of players is crowded and fast-moving. Will every one of them have a run? Will every one of them leave a mark? 

Watching this match I was reminded of the impression Lacy Schneemann left on me when I first saw her play long ago.  On court she seems quiet, businesslike. No flamboyance. No bravado. No big spectacle. No airs about her. So, even without those characteristics, Schneemann has held my attention. I like her game. I like her style of playing. That’s more than enough to keep me intrigued. Partnered with pickleball stars Vivienne David or Jesse Irvine, or competing in singles against Salome Davidze or Lea Jansen—in other words,  looking at her performance throughout the tour—she has shown discipline and steadiness, as well as the grit and tenacity of a seasoned champion; her sponsor, Joola. 

Win or lose, Schneemann has been consistent. Watch this match and see for yourself her confidence, athleticism, shot selection; her calm under pressure, her composure whether playing clean or struggling to find answers. An all-around athlete (basketball, softball, volleyball, soccer, gymnastics), her time spent playing tennis has helped her in pickleball, she says. 

Alix Truong is a scrapper. Here we see her missile forehands and passing shots, her speed, her serve, her court coverage. Lacy, a pro since 2022, dismantles that game by getting to balls on fast feet, having the right counterattacks, being almost perfect at the kitchen line–aggressive and dominant, unafraid to come forward and slap back her opponent’s ground strokes.

Match two, a memorable performance, part of it mirroring the doubles game—another of her strengths no matter her partner. In this match, her hustle and control force Truong to overcompensate and slip up. Her leaping, explosive overheads are fun to watch too (she must have springs on her sneakers!) All season long, courtside fans can be seen clapping, fistpumping, or cheering when she takes flight and slaps down balls.  Such power and precision in those shots. Oh, the angles they carve! Her backhand slice, her inside-out forehand, her one-handed backhand, her cross-court drop-shots, her reliable finesse, an arsenal of weapons and strategies pulled into focus at the Veolia Houston Open. Lacy Schneemann has many Championship Sundays in her future. Best of luck out there!

A versatile and diversified writer, David Boyle has written three short story collections, published by independent presses. Though he earned his readership by writing reality-based fiction, Boyle has gained a reputation for literary stories, essays, articles, reviews, interviews, analyses, travel writing, reportage, and poems, a good number of which have appeared in both print and online magazines. Inspired by his wife's passion for the sport, David now loves pickleball and aims to illuminate current pickleball events and subjects with a fresh, creative perspective, offering readers something they can't find anywhere else. | My website | [email protected] | My Pickleball Journal