Sunday, November 16 will see the entirety of the southern region meet in Tuscaloosa, Alabama for Crimson Chaos, Alabama’s inaugural home tournament. North Georgia, Alabama, and Georgia Southern met for the first time this season in September, but Northern Kentucky enters the mix now. Here’s a preview of each program as the fall semester comes to a close.
Alabama
Despite turning a couple of heads at their debut in September, Alabama comes into November still looking for their first win. With a sizable amount of arm strength, Alabama will need exceptional teamwork and playmaking if they want things to go their way. Watch for Avery Thomas and Nick Rossini as they have earned captain status for the young team, both bringing strong instincts and aggression on the court. With league play now under their belt, an updated roster, and home court advantage, the Crimson Tide have potential to leave with something in the win column.
Georgia Southern
Despite a shortened roster, Georgia Southern enters with a win from September against Alabama. They’ll need more than that to be a contender in the South as they will face #20 Northern Kentucky and #14 North Georgia. The Eagles look to fare better in their rematch against North Georgia than they previously have, and with both schools bringing veteran experience, their match ought to be a sensational watch.
North Georgia
North Georgia comes to Tuscaloosa with a phenomenal start to their season, staying undefeated as winter approaches. The Nighthawks are set up for an unprecedented year of dodgeball with a mix of veteran leadership and a talented rookie class. Further, the depth of their roster should make up for captain Henry Bowman’s absence, now putting more weight on their three other captains. Captain Julia Mahoney says they “have a lot of new people” and “look forward to rookies picking up game knowledge.” If their improvement persists, this season is when North Georgia looks beyond the South Cup and prepares for the playoffs come April.
Northern Kentucky
Crimson Chaos should be an interesting experience for Northern Kentucky, as it’s their first taste of dodgeball in their home region this year. After upsetting #9 Akron at Pink Out, it isn’t absurd to think they’ll go 3-0, especially under the tutelage of head coach Wes Peters. NKU President Hunter Theissen says the match he’s looking forward to most is against North Georgia, since they “gave [NKU] the most competition at last year’s South Cup.” As the favorite to win in each of their matches, the Norse have a chance to eclipse North Georgia as the #1 team in the South.