Players (L-R) include PebbleCreek’s Rochelle Zuckerbrow, Hope McAllister, Diana Horton-Smith, Betty Weaver, and Judy Jensen; and CantaMia’s Vickie Jones, Paula Divorio, Julie Hibbard, and Judy Spiller.
Dan Harris, travel team coordinator
On Nov. 21, 2025, five ladies from the PebbleCreek Billiards Club (PCBC) made their first-ever away match, traveling south for a friendly clash against four ladies from CantaMia (CM). The clubs played two spirited short-rack 8-ball singles matches that went right down to the wire.
Short-rack 8-ball keeps the familiar rules of traditional 8-ball but speeds things up dramatically: only four solids, four stripes, and the black 8 are used, racked in a diamond like 9-ball. With fewer balls in play, games fly by and each player gets more table time.
The CantaMia ladies arrived looking sharp in new custom jerseys featuring each player’s name and favorite accent color—a stylish touch that seemed to bring them good fortune (see photo). Despite great gameplay from the visitors, CM narrowly claimed victory in both matches.
The first match was a race-to-11, and PebbleCreek quickly built an imposing 8-4 lead. CantaMia refused to fold, however, reeling off seven of the final eight games to clinch the match 11-9. CM’s Judy Spiller was the standout of the match, winning an impressive 4 of her 5 games. Hope McAllister led PCBC with 3 wins in 4 games.
The second match, which was a race-to-6, stayed tight throughout, but CM again prevailed 6-4. PCBC’s Rochelle Zuckerbrow shone brightest among all players in Match 2, going a perfect 3-for-3 at the table.
In total, across 30 games played in just over two hours on CM’s two 8-ft tables, CantaMia secured 17 wins to PebbleCreek’s 13. The afternoon was a perfect blend of competitive fire, good-natured laughter, and genuine camaraderie. As the players exchanged hugs and farewells, both teams were already talking about a rematch next month.