Lawson twins stay unbeaten, win YoungLife pickleball tournament

Ziva and Zoey Lawson kept building their reputation as West Virginia’s breakout junior pickleball names, going undefeated and taking first place at the YoungLife Spring Pickleball Tournament in New Martinsville. The identical twins from Triadelphia arrived with proven credentials and left with another result that reinforced how far their game has already traveled beyond a typical youth bracket.

The tournament was held Sunday afternoon, May 3, 2026, at the Bruce Park PicklePlex courts and drew 37 players. Alli Childers, who serves as Young Life director for Wetzel, Tyler, and Monroe counties, organized the fundraiser, which was staged to support kids in the community. In a local event built around a good cause, the Lawsons gave the field a competitive edge and turned the tournament into a showcase for one of the state’s most talked-about young pairs.

That attention is no accident. Ziva and Zoey were already West Virginia State Pickleball Champions after winning the women’s doubles 3.5 title in the 49-and-under division in November 2025, a result that stood out because they had been playing competitive pickleball for only a little over a year at the time. Coverage from that stretch also noted that the twins trained with the men of the Ohio Valley Pickleball Club, a detail that helps explain how quickly they climbed from newcomers to players able to win against adults.

By January 2026, the twins were being described as playing at about a 4.0 DUPR level after roughly a year and a half in the sport. Their edge has come not just from talent, but from the way they play together. The sisters have said their twin communication helps them on court, and that dressing alike can confuse opponents. Against older and more experienced players, that kind of chemistry matters, especially in doubles where positioning, anticipation and quick reactions decide tight points.

For West Virginia amateur pickleball, the Lawsons’ undefeated run is part of a larger shift. A local fundraiser at Bruce Park PicklePlex did not just produce a winner, it put two 14-year-olds at the center of the bracket and showed how junior players are starting to shape the level of competition in the state. The twins are no longer just promising names from Triadelphia Middle School and Wheeling-area coverage. They are becoming the standard other local players measure against.