Ten of the collegiate dodgeball’s finest will converge in southeast Ohio this Saturday in what is billed as the tournament of the season to this point. Eight of the nation’s top-ten teams will be in attendance, and the schedule is lined with juggernauts squaring off for the first time this season. Four regions will be represented in Athens, offering fans a rare first-semester preview of matchups typically reserved for nationals. Let’s take a look at the programs and bouts that will invade Ohio University and put on a first-class show.
Akron: The Zips find themselves outside of the top-ten in the standings for the first time since February of 2024 after a disappointing home tournament in late October. Coming into Saturday with a 2-5 record, Akron is looking to gain some positive momentum as the semester comes to an end. The top-end talent is still apparent, led by First Team All-American Jeremy Faircloth and reigning Women’s National Player of the Year Alexis Schultz, but Akron is still searching for the right pieces to fill out its starting 12. The reigning semi-finalists will play JMU to start the day, then tango with northeast Ohio foes Cleveland State, and end the day against the hosts, Ohio.
BGSU: Bowling Green is riding high after a strong 3-0 performance at Pink Out, which vaulted them into the top-ten of the standings for the first time this season. Though they did not play a team in the top-20 of the standings, the fact that the Falcons were able to take care of business bodes well for a team that was #22 in the standings early in the season. While veterans Gavin Gilliard and Jack Price have done a lot of heavy lifting statistically, the Falcons are quietly building a strong core group of players who improve at every tournament. Bowling Green has a tough trio of matches Saturday, playing three top-ten teams in GVSU, JMU, and Kent State in what should be a challenging day for the Falcons.
CSU: Last year’s biggest nationals risers return to play for the first time since the Buckeye Opener in mid-September. 1-2 on the season, the Vikings showed a lot of promise in their only action with strong performances from expected forces like All-Americans Leon Rockamore Jr. and Jostein Sagnes, but also saw a breakout performance from September Rookie of the Month Austin Blood. CSU plays Akron to start their day, then has two tough contests against #2 Ohio State and #3 Cincinnati. Saturday should serve as a good barometer for the Vikings and the league on how legit this Cleveland State team is.
GVSU: Maybe the league’s hottest team at the moment, Grand Valley, crosses into the Buckeye State for the second time this season, riding high. The Lakers vaulted themselves back into the elite conversation with a dominant 3-0 showing at Pink Out, beating top-5 teams at the time, Ohio State and Kent State. The All-American trio of Ryan Paddock, Aidan Jacobs, and Matt Budai is firing on all cylinders, and stalwarts Connor Picard and Alex Welscott provide elite depth on a very organized team. The fifth-ranked team in the league will play Bowling Green and Ohio to start the day, then will square off with #1 Miami in what should be a heavyweight bout.
Kent: One of the pre-season’s most hyped up teams, Kent State is looking to rebound from a less-than-ideal showing at Pink Out, where they dropped to 7th in the standings. Kent dropped two games to Ohio State and Grand Valley by a combined 12-2, but was able to save face with two blowouts to end their day. The Golden Flashes have an absurd amount of firepower on their roster, including September Baller of the Month Emannuel Miller, but haven’t seemed to put it all together early in the season. Kent will have a chance to right the ship, starting with #1 Miami, then they face off with BGSU, and finish against #3 Cincinnati to potentially jump back into the top-5 of the standings with a strong weekend.
JMU: James Madison will make the trip west for inter-region play for the first time this season. This is the Dukes’ second tournament on the campaign, with their first coming on the opening weekend at Maryland Madness, where they went 2-0. Ranked #8 in the standings, JMU pulled off the upset of the tournament last nationals, beating #5 Ohio, who they will square off with to start their day, and will follow with BGSU, and end against #2 OSU. With a limited number of games to this point, the Dukes have a great chance to show the league what they are made of in Athens.
Miami: The undisputed #1 team in the standings, Miami has been silencing doubters all season, and looks to continue that trend in Athens on Saturday. Undefeated on the year, Miami has used its depth and organization to overwhelm teams, and still has the knack for clutch moments that propelled it to the national title last season. Philip Hampton has stepped into the role of on-court leader, and his contributions have paid dividends. Miami will look to stay atop the mountain with matchups against Akron, Kent State, and Grand Valley.
Ohio: The hosts of the tournament sit at 3-3 and 6th in the standings after two tournaments. Ohio was able to scrape a 1-2 record while missing six starters at the South Oak Showdown, including an overtime loss to #3 Cincinnati. The Bobcats have a fun group of experienced players, like former preseason All-American #1 Terence Checkett and up-and-coming stars like President Andrew Krankowski. Ohio opens the day seeking revenge against JMU, who upset them in the national tournament, then tussles with GVSU, and wraps up with an ODC final rematch against Akron.
OSU: The current “national champions,” according to the viral Barstool After Dark competition the Buckeyes competed in this week, Ohio State has the actual #1 spot in the league standings in mind heading into Saturday. Currently ranked second in the standings, the scarlet and gray have played the most games and collected the most wins, sitting at 7-3, with two of those losses coming at the South Oak Showdown while missing a good chunk of their starters. The biggest game of the day comes when they face Cincinnati in a game they previously lost this season, and they follow with games against JMU and Cleveland State to round out their day.
UC: Last year’s national runner-up has had an up-and-down start to the season that sees them in the #3 spot in the standings. The Bearcats have only lost two games on the season, but they have both been to Miami, the team they fell to in the national championship game last year, as they continue to try and get over the hump. Cincinnati has an arm-barn forming with formidable cannons spread across the court, led by superstar Will Hyatt. UC has a huge test first with #2 Ohio State, then takes on Cleveland State, and will face Kent State for the first time as their last game.
All games will be livestreamed on the NCDA Dodgeball Youtube channel, and games will begin at 9:20 AM, with the schedule below.
