The moment we have been working/waiting for as players and staff and fans of the sport is finally upon us. NCDA Nationals 2023! Below will be some background on these matchups and why we want to see them happen as well as a small look into some of the teams attending nationals this year. Some of this WILL be played on Saturday or Sunday in bracket play.
Continue reading “A Nationals Preview From Akron Alumni & Coach Adam Pfeifer”
On Saturday, February 25th, Ohio State University hosted the 2023 edition of the Ohio Dodgeball Cup tournament, and for the second straight season, the Cincinnati Bearcats were declared champions. The tournament, featuring all 8 active Ohio region teams, was played in a single elimination format, with consolation and placement matches giving a final ranking to each team. Here is how each team did:
While the one seed lived up to their positioning coming into the tournament, and Ohio State battled back throughout multiple matches, not everything else went by “chalk” on Saturday. Let’s dig a little deeper into each team’s performance, and really pull some key takeaways that those who were not in attendance or able to watch at home should know.
Continue reading “Cincinnati Secures Second Consecutive Ohio Dodgeball Cup”The first half of the 2022/23 NCDA season was certainly a memorable one, with teams like Michigan State, jumping out to a commanding 6-0 start with several dominant wins, JMU, showing that last April’s Nationals run wasn’t a flash in the pan and that they once again look to be title contenders, and Akron, perhaps finally taking that long-awaited step into the top 8 and beyond. But that’s not all that has happened this season.
On a League-Expansion note, we’ve made some progress as well, and have already welcomed some new faces into the league, with hopefully more to come. The following is an update on how things stand from the Director of League Expansion Wes Peters.
The Baller of the Month for April is Dr. Peter Broe, founder and captain of the Western Michigan Broncos! Peter and the Broncos were our Nationals 2022 host team, and Peter was able to put together an excellent event despite short notice. Watch and listen as we ask Peter a wide variety of questions about his lengthy career, what it was like starting the club, and more.
To watch his interview, click on the link below:
Rebecca Shappell: I had the chance to sit down with February Rookie of the Month, Jon Crockett, to hear what he had to say over an incredible Michigan Dodgeball Cup performance to help Michigan State secure their first MDC title in 17 years!
Crockett is a freshman studying Mechanical Engineering at Michigan State. Prior to college, he played baseball but found club dodgeball at MSU’s fall recruitment event, Sparticipation. Crockett quickly developed into a strong rookie player for the Spartans by showing off his arm early. While he had a little bit of a quiet start to the fall semester, he burst onto the scene in spring with a stellar MDC performance, notching several catches, huge hits and great transitional play. He quickly showed that he is an integral piece to an already powerful Spartan offense.
Crockett may show off a powerful throw but what has quickly catapulted him into the top of MSU’s rotation is his hands. He is always looking for catches and made multiple clutch plays to swing momentum at key points in the Spartans championship match against GV. His versatility in how he moves on the court allowed him to capitalize on stray throws and catch teams off guard. Crockett worked his way into a stacked Michigan State OT-6 roster and wound up making two huge catches to help seal the victory at MDC.
We look forward to seeing Crockett improve throughout his college career. Expect him to be a household name for the Spartans as he becomes an upper class-man. Congratulations on the achievement, Jon!
THE FOLLOWING WAS WRITTEN BY NCDA ALUMNI KEVIN BAILEY AND WES PETERS
Link to the full weekend schedule can be found here.
36 months. That’s how long it’s been since the last time the National Collegiate Dodgeball Association (NCDA) crowned a National Champion. That season, it was the Towson Tigers, thanks to a thrilling upset victory in the 2019 Title Game, arguably one of the greatest games in history.
College Dodgeball was in a great place back in 2019, and for the majority of the 2020 season as well. Clubs across the country were thriving, the league as a whole was deep, talented, and competitive from top to bottom. 15 years after the NCDA’s first season, the trajectory of the sport at the collegiate level was as exciting and promising as it had ever been.
After Towson took home the hardware in 2019, becoming the first non-Michigan school since 2006 to do so, the 2020 season appeared to feature 7+ schools with a legitimate shot at winning the National Championship. That level of parity at the top of the league was unheard of.
10-time champion Grand Valley State was their usual self, sitting atop the standings with an undefeated record. Michigan State was loaded with talent and had taken GVSU to overtime several times that season. Defending champion Towson was atop the East Coast once again and in great position to repeat. Ohio, 0-29 only a few seasons prior, was putting together a historic season (16-1 when the pandemic hit). Ohio State, owners of the first two NCDA titles (‘05 & ‘06), was right on OU’s heels thanks to a deep roster filled with veterans seeking their first championship. Miami was stacked and primed for a title run after coming up just short of their first Final Four berth in club history in 2019, and let’s not forget the always talented Dukes of JMU were no slouch back in 2020, with an above 70% win percentage. Bottom line, we were poised for an EPIC Nationals… The NCDA seemed to be hitting its stride.
Continue reading “After 36 Months, College Dodgeball Returns to its Biggest Stage”
Leading into Nationals, we look to spotlight as many teams as we can in hopes of shining a bright light on standouts from participating teams. These glow-ups include up to 2 of each team’s standout rookies as well as a handful of core contributing players that have gotten their respective team to where they are going into the National Collegiate Dodgeball Association’s annual finale. Lastly, we get a glance into each participating team’s mindset and expectations going into Nationals.
Continue reading “Western Michigan Broncos Pre-Nationals Spotlight”
Leading into Nationals, we look to spotlight as many teams as we can in hopes of shining a bright light on standouts from participating teams. These glow-ups include up to 2 of each team’s standout rookies as well as a handful of core contributing players that have gotten their respective team to where they are going into the National Collegiate Dodgeball Association’s annual finale. Lastly, we get a glance into each participating team’s mindset and expectations going into Nationals.
Continue reading “Ohio Bobcats Pre-Nationals Spotlight”
Leading into Nationals, we look to spotlight as many teams as we can in hopes of shining a bright light on standouts from participating teams. These glow-ups include up to 2 of each team’s standout rookies as well as a handful of core contributing players that have gotten their respective team to where they are going into the National Collegiate Dodgeball Association’s annual finale. Lastly, we get a glance into each participating team’s mindset and expectations going into Nationals.
Continue reading “Penn State Nittany Lions Pre-Nationals Spotlight”
Leading into Nationals, we look to spotlight as many teams as we can in hopes of shining a bright light on standouts from participating teams. These glow-ups include up to 2 of each team’s standout rookies as well as a handful of core contributing players that have gotten their respective team to where they are going into the National Collegiate Dodgeball Association’s annual finale. Lastly, we get a glance into each participating team’s mindset and expectations going into Nationals.
Continue reading “Cleveland State Vikings Pre-National Spotlight”
Leading into Nationals, we look to spotlight as many teams as we can in hopes of shining a bright light on standouts from participating teams. These glow-ups include up to 2 of each team’s standout rookies as well as a handful of core contributing players that have gotten their respective team to where they are going into the National Collegiate Dodgeball Association’s annual finale. Lastly, we get a glance into each participating team’s mindset and expectations going into Nationals.
Continue reading “Michigan State Spartans Pre-Nationals Spotlight”
Leading into Nationals, we look to spotlight as many teams as we can in hopes of shining a bright light on standouts from participating teams. These glow-ups include up to 2 of each team’s standout rookies as well as a handful of core contributing players that have gotten their respective team to where they are going into the National Collegiate Dodgeball Association’s annual finale. Lastly, we get a glance into each participating team’s mindset and expectations going into Nationals.
Continue reading “Akron Zips Pre-Nationals Spotlight”
Leading into Nationals, we look to spotlight as many teams as we can in hopes of shining a bright light on standouts from participating teams. These glow-ups include up to 2 of each team’s standout rookies as well as a handful of core contributing players that have gotten their respective team to where they are going into the National Collegiate Dodgeball Association’s annual finale. Lastly, we get a glance into each participating team’s mindset and expectations going into Nationals.
Continue reading “Towson Tigers Pre-Nationals Spotlight”
Leading into Nationals, we look to spotlight as many teams as we can in hopes of shining a bright light on standouts from participating teams. These glow-ups include up to 2 of each team’s standout rookies as well as a handful of core contributing players that have gotten their respective team to where they are going into the National Collegiate Dodgeball Association’s annual finale. Lastly, we get a glance into each participating team’s mindset and expectations going into Nationals.
Continue reading “James Madison Dukes Pre-Nationals Spotlight”
Leading into Nationals, we look to spotlight as many teams as we can in hopes of shining a bright light on standouts from participating teams. These glow-ups include up to 2 of each team’s standout rookies as well as a handful of core contributing players that have gotten their respective team to where they are going into the National Collegiate Dodgeball Association’s annual finale. Lastly, we get a glance into each participating team’s mindset and expectations going into Nationals.
Continue reading “Nebraska-Lincoln Cornhuskers Pre-Nationals Spotlight”
