BOTM October 2019 – Brett Liming (UC)

The University of Cincinnati Dodgeball Club has been on a steady rise this season, and a large part of that is thanks to October 2019 Baller of the Month, Brett Liming. During October, Brett helped lead the 2nd year club to a 4-2 record, which included Gonzalez upset wins over CSU, SIUE, and Kent State. As a Sophomore, Liming has learned the game very quickly, and will continue to be a force for years to come. I had a chance to catch up with him and get his thoughts on winning.

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September 2019 BOTM – Cory Nasiadka

After leading his team to a good showing in their first tournament of the year and securing their first win, we have awarded West Virginia’s (picture-less) Cory Nasiadka Baller of the Month for September. I interviewed him about his reaction to the award, the current state of WVU, and their tendency to burn couches.

Zane Durbin: First off congrats on winning Baller of the Month and being West Virginia’s first ever! How does it feel?

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September 2019 ROTM – Ryan Ginsberg

The NCDA has been recognizing players that make a statement on the court through their skills, leadership, and ability to mobilize a team. While team captains often receive this honor, the league is greatly influenced by the outstanding new players that join each year. This month, we are introducing a new segment: Rookie of the Month. After a remarkable performance at the Buckeye Invitational on September 28th, the first Rookie of the Month goes to Ryan Ginsberg from Ohio State. Ryan wowed teammates and spectators with low throws, clutch catches, and a competitive spirit. His performance against Akron especially contributed to Ohio State’s victory with eight catches in one point, and he will without a doubt play a part in Ohio State’s success this season. Dylan Greer and Kathryn Mays took some time to interview this rising player; take a look at the interview below:

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April BOTM: Towson’s David Guare

I had the pleasure of interviewing one of Towson’s Captains, as well as 2019 National Champ, David Guare for his much deserved Baller of the Month award. We talked about this past season, what’s on the horizon for him personally as well as Towson dodgeball, and got answers to some of the content team’s most pressing questions.

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BOTM: 2019 March

Baller of the Month for March goes to a player more than deserving of the recognition. Miami Captain Tom Morand has been in the running many times for BOTM, and this month we decided to finally give him the honor. Tom has led Miami University through a remarkable resurgence over the past few years, as the RedHawks have climbed up the rankings rapidly, and are now considered a Final Four contender. As an individual, he has made some noise this season, with several fantastic individual performances (including a wild comeback against #2 Towson to push the Tigers to overtime at WAR III). Tom is one of only a few players on the 2019 MVP shortlist this late in the year, and has his team positioned for their best Nationals finish in program history. Kevin Bailey and Hunter Ford took some time to chat with this star player from Miami. Take a look at the interview below:

Kevin Bailey: First off congratulations on winning Baller of the Month. You and your team have made immense improvements over the past few years and now Miami looks like a legitimate Final Four contender. Can you talk a little bit about what went into developing this team into what it is today?

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International Women’s Day Spotlight

The Ladies’ Match logo for 2019. Designer: Zigmas Maloni

March 8th is International Women’s Day. Due to this occasion, we thought it would be a great time to spotlight a few female dodgeballers in the NCDA. Thank you to Gwendolyn, Jessica, Katie, Treanna, and Rebecca for providing us with a brief writeup of their experiences in this league!

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BOTM: 2019 February

Wow, what a month for College Dodgeball, right? Cleveland State hosted their first tournament, Akron hosted the third annual WAR two-day tournament, both the Michigan and Ohio Dodgeball Cups were hosted. AND The BEAST and Zanderthon Throw-down both went off without a hitch. With over 20 of the active league members playing in tournaments in February it was a daunting task to pick the Baller of the Month for such a stacked month. That makes this player that much more impressive.

Congratulations to your February 2019 Baller of the Month, Josh Lyons from the University of Akron.

Josh has been a staple of the Akron Zips Dodgeball Club since their inception in 2014 and for good reason. Season by season he continues to improve in every aspect of the game, from catching to throwing and helping lead the team to a 15-7 season thus far. Josh has proven time and time again that he is the unsung hero of the Akron program, until now. Below is the interview that I conducted with Josh.

Josh Lyons is one of Akron’s top performers consistently. This is him pictured at The War III hosted by Akron.
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BOTM: 2018 November

For the month of November, we awarded Zachary Parise of the University of Kentucky with the Baller of the Month title. Zach just finished his career in the NCDA with the Summit Street Slugfest in Kent, where he showed out for his last tournament. Below is the interview that I conducted with him.  Continue reading “BOTM: 2018 November”

BOTM: 2018 October

October’s Baller of the Month: Jordan Watt of Towson University

Towson University has burst onto the scene this fall, with an impressive 9-0 record to start the year.  This is in large part thanks to October’s Baller of the Month: Jordan Watt.  Watt has made himself a household name in the NCDA over the past few years, as his extremely strong arm has become a key part of Towson’s offense.  As we wrap up the month of October, I had the chance to chat with Towson’s star player: Continue reading “BOTM: 2018 October”

BOTM: 2018 May

Aaron Krafft – GVSU Assistant Captain

GVSU won their 6th-straight National Title a few weeks ago.  Junior Aaron Krafft has his best performance of the year at Nationals, and it was enough to earn him Baller of the Month!  I chatted with Aaron about everything from his mindset, to his favorite dodgeball memories, to which Disney movies he thinks are the best.  Read our interview below:

Kevin Bailey: First off, congratulations on wining Baller of the Month.  How does it feel to cap off the season with a National Title and a well-deserved BOTM distinction?

Aaron Krafft: Thanks, Kevin. Winning the National Title this year was unlike any other year because of what we went through this season to get there. Outside of MDC, we never played to our potential but at Nationals we played better than I thought was possible. As far as BOTM goes, I’m honored to be chosen because I know there are lots of others worthy of the distinction.

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BOTM: 2018 April

It is that time of the month again to look at the performances of players throughout the league and determine who is the Baller of the Month.  The board looked at various criteria and a number of deserving players and the content team decided on University of Wisconsin- Platteville’s very own Will Martin. Continue reading “BOTM: 2018 April”

BOTM: 2018 March

Evan Eschenburg – JMU

After a series of matchups and polls on Twitter, JMU’s Evan Eschenburg was the people’s choice, coming out on top over seven other talented and well-qualified dodgeballers.  Throughout his career, Eschenburg has embodied what it means to be a true JMU dodgeballer, which lead to him being one of the captains for this season.  Without a doubt, he has made a bigger name for himself this season and could even be placed in the league MVP discussion.  I had a chance to talk to him to congratulate him and pick his thoughts on dodgeball, JMU, and Fortnite.

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Women’s March Madness Baller of the Month Bracket

We are happy to announce that this month, along with our Men’s Baller of the Month bracket, we have put together a bracket with 8 of the top female ballers in college dodgeball for you to vote on.

The voting will take place on Twitter, and will begin later this week (Thursday afternoon) following the conclusion of the men’s bracket.  Below is the list of finalists, along with the official bracket showing each first round matchup.  Check our Twitter later this week for the first poll! Continue reading “Women’s March Madness Baller of the Month Bracket”

March Madness Baller of the Month Bracket

Happy March everyone.  As we have done in the past, the Baller of the Month for March will be determined through a “March Madness” bracket.  We have narrowed our list of candidates for BOTM down to the 8 most deserving, and will now leave it up to you to determine the winner!  Before we get into the matchups and voting procedure, here are your 8 finalists:

  • Nick Hazergian (SVSU)
  • Evan Eschenburg (JMU)
  • Jordan Watt (Towson)
  • Tyler Paalman (Kent)
  • Wayne Shortt (VCU)
  • Reid Manger (BGSU)
  • Alex Jonauskas (GVSU)
  • Ethan Kraus (UCF)

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