The Pioneer Classic is the first of two home tournaments hosted by UW-Platteville, and it’s one of the few events where majority of the central region is in attendance. It is also an event where many UWP alumni come and return to their roots for an afternoon. This year, among usual attendees like UNL, Iowa, and UIUC, Grand Valley University is making an appearance for the first time; they are the first non-central region team to attend a central region event in quite a while. A total of six official teams will be in attendance, seven with the alumni/mixed team, and UWP will be dusting off court three to accommodate all the games that will be taking place.
Additionally, there are two fundraisers coinciding with the tournament: The Popcorn Kernel LLC will be donating a portion of their earnings over the weekend to the club, so go purchase some popcorn downtown to help out the club (mention the club with your purchase), and UWP’s own Pioneer Sweets will be selling ice cream day of, proceeds going to the club as well. Now, let’s take a look at the team’s we’ll see this Saturday!
UWP
Platteville has done pretty well with recruitment so far this season, and they’ll be able to finally display their skills as a full team at their home tournament. It will also be the tournament where they debut their new jersey designs! This event will also be their first event since the Cornhusker Clash back in September, so they’ve had lots of time to work with their rookies to get them up to speed on strategy, communication, and confidence on the court. This tournament will be the league’s first real look at how the team is looking so far, and it will also prove as a starting point for further upward momentum. The Pioneers have done great things these past few seasons. This year’s captains have stepped up to help lead the team in ways they want and need allowing their coach to focus on other areas and allow him to help individuals fine tune and develop their skills. It will be exciting to see what the Pioneers have accomplished so far, and hopefully they can take a few wins at their first home tournament.
GVSU
Grand Valley is the odd ball out at this event as it has been a gathering for the central region for several previous seasons. They’ve spend the first half of this season duking it out with close rivals, MSU, and having fast-paced, close-call games with them. With MSU hosting open nationals this season, GV decided to allot some of their budget into travel, and the Pioneer Classic was one event they saw worth attending. It also helps that UNL will be there as well, and they are a team not seen outside the central region until nationals. This event will give them, and their opponents, the rare opportunity to play each other and face players they’ve never played before. GV’s coming off of a close one against MSU and a bigger loss against Kent, so it’s not surprising that they plan to take as many points and wins at this event as they can.
UNL
UNL was in at the front of the league’s focus for a while with after making an appearance on the September Top 10 Plays video as well as the Smack Talk Podcast where a few of their players were talked about extensively. They are a team that, despite not having any more games under their belts since their home tournament, still makes a name for themselves as formidable and highly capable of great things. This year, with former coach Tre Sumrall back on the team, UNL’s offense has increase greatly since last season. Not to mention the hard work their captains and veterans have put into their team, UNL will be playing UIUC, as well as Stout and Grand Valley. They are probably the reason GVSU decided to make the trip out as they were sick of waiting until nationals to get a feel for this team. It will be exciting to watch this showdown, and I’m sure UNL wants to keep their winning streak going.
Iowa
The Hawkeyes have also been in the spot light of the NCDA by also featuring on the September Top 10 Plays and making the number one play of the month as well as their rookie, Owen Siemens, being voted NCDA’s Rookie of the Month for September. They have really impressed those around the league with their ability to quickly learn the game, put together their strategy, and keep their intensity up regardless of who they’re playing. Ever since obtaining an official coach, their gameplay has really fallen into place nicely. They are still a young team, so being recognized for their accomplishments so far this year surly is a big boost for their confidence and is well deserved. This event has them playing the two teams in their skill range, so these games will be good tests of skill and strategy. Their last game is against the mixed/alumni team, so no pressure, but they still need to keep their guard up against the Eau Claire players and the wild cards that are UW-Steven’s Point and the UWP alumni.
UIUC
Also featuring on the September Top 10 Plays, Illinois has already done some impressive things so far this season. They are the only official team in the central region to not have a coach yet, but their leadership and teamwork is exceptional to the point of being ranked so high last season. This year will surly put their team to the test with their new leadership from Alejandro Alanis who is still an active player on the team who has stepped up as a coaching figure for the team. So far this season, they’ve attended one event as a full team, and their women have attended one additional tournament, so all their rookies should be up to speed on what a tournament will be like. They’re able to attend more events outside the central region due to their location, and this gives them an advantage by being able to play so many additional team besides those in their home region. It allows them to learn how to adapt and alter their style to better counter their opponents. We are excited to see this team play the two big teams at the Pioneer Classic, and they’ll like to take their game against UWP to kick off their season in the central region in a strong fashion.
Stout
This will be Stout’s first appearance since their home tournament, the Rosen Bowl III, back in September, and it’s great to see them with a full roster at an away tournament. UW-Stout has struggled to keep their numbers up, especially when it comes to traveling, so they don’t get a lot of experience playing teams besides UWEC and the other central region teams. More often than not, they are members on the mixed team with the same few members playing. Their biggest goal should be scoring as many points in their official games as they can. They are going up against Iowa and UNL, so making the most out of each point will be very important, and their match against the mixed team should offer them a breather while also allow them to focus on their strategy and communication without such intense pressure.
Mixed/Alumni
The mixed/alumni team is always a fun team to watch at these home tournaments. They’re a mix of fun and seriousness that reminds viewers just how fun the game is. This year, several alumni will be joining players from UW-Eau Claire and the budding team at UW-Steven’s Point! They have three games to play, all against teams of their skill level, and they’ll all get the chance to practice their reffing skills during the first round of the day. It’s exciting to see all the players from official and growing teams play together, and it will be fun to see the alumni brush off the dust.
For the live steaming of the event, check out the UW-Platteville Dodgeball YouTube channel as well as the NCDA’s Instagram and Facebook page for updates leading up to the event. Check out the team’s social medias to learn more about who’s going, the players themselves, and upcoming events!
Remember to check out the fundraisers at the event if you feel like supporting UWP’s dodgeball club so they can continue the hard work and dedication they put into the central region!
See you Saturday!