As the temperature starts to drop outside, NCDA Dodgeball is heating up with multiple marquee tournaments still on the docket for the first semester. Four regions will be represented this weekend as some of the nation’s best converge in Akron, Ohio, for the 10th edition of the Pink Out tournament, hosted by the University of Akron. An array of teams, some looking to make statements, and some trying to break into the win column, will bring their best and look to continue the exciting start to the 2025-26 campaign.
Akron: The hosts come into their second tournament of the year sitting at 1-2 after an up-and-down opening performance at the Buckeye Opener. Last season’s semi-finalists saw much of the league’s attention go towards the 7-0 drubbing they suffered at the hands of Kent State, but a clinical 5-1 win over Bowling Green, and a one-point loss against #3 Ohio State, provide good things to look back on for the Zips. Akron will play four games this Saturday, opening with a bout against Maryland, and a rematch against the Buckeyes will follow. After a break, they will play Grand Valley and wrap up with a game against Northern Kentucky. Akron will also be sporting a B-team for this tournament, which proves the incredible depth that the Zips have in their program. Still early in the season, this new-look Akron team has a great chance to try and find its footing and protect its home court.
BGSU: Things have been rocky for the Falcons to start the 2025-26 season, as they hobble into Pink Out sporting a measly 1-5 record. However, not all is bleak for the Falcons, as they have a good mix of core pieces from previous years and rookies who made heavy impacts in their first taste of competitive dodgeball. The Falcons and Terrapins will tango to start the day, then will face off with Northern Kentucky, and finish with a bout against Akron’s B-team. This weekend is a huge opportunity for the Falcons, as they will not play a team ranked inside the top #20, and have the chance to improve their record before the end of the semester.
GVSU: Collegiate dodgeball’s most storied program has quite a few question marks in the early part of this season. With only one game played to this point, and it being a loss to in-state rivals Michigan State, Grand Valley sits disappointingly at #11 in the standings. They still have plenty of horsepower, boasting three All-Americans on their roster, but continue to find themselves looking up in the standings and power rankings after a shaky stretch that dates back to last season. The bright side is that the loss to MSU was in overtime, in a game where the Lakers fought hand-in-hand with a top-5 team in the nation. Heading south, Grand Valley will face three of the Buckeye State’s finest, with matches against Ohio State, #6 Kent State, and the hosts, Akron, on the docket.
KENT: The new era of Kent State dodgeball started with relative success, highlighted by a 2-1 record at the Buckeye Opener, placing them at #6 in the standings. The remaining core of last year’s quarterfinalists looked as strong as ever, and the addition of Emmanuel Miller looks massive after a whopping 34-kill performance back at Ohio State in September. The Golden Flashes will have a chance to avenge their only loss with a match against Ohio State to kick off the tournament, then will immediately turn around and play Grand Valley, a chance to make a statement with a couple of strong performances before rounding out the day against Maryland and Akron’s B-team.
NKU: Northern Kentucky makes the trip north in search of its first win on the season, and looking to move out of the bottom spot of the league’s standings. The Norse are still anchored by captains Will Strong and Braylon Patton, and had some rookie standouts when they played in the Clifton Heights Classic in September. NKU will start their day against Akron’s B-team, and follow that up with a match against Bowling Green before ending their day against Akron. This weekend presents a good opportunity for the Norse to generate momentum as the semester winds down and hopefully end up in the win column.
UMD: The Terrapins travel west for the first time this campaign after a head-turning first tournament, which they hosted. Despite losing both tilts, Maryland took #7 James Madison to overtime in the first game of the season and followed up by dropping a tightly-fought contest to #10 Virginia. Their first game is against Bowling Green, followed by a matchup with the hosts, Akron, and concluding with a game against Kent State. This weekend is a huge opportunity for the Terrapins to measure themselves against some of the Midwest’s best and continue to develop playmakers for the rest of the season.
OSU: The Buckeyes are looking to bounce back after their performance at the UC tournament a few weeks ago. They had low numbers so that really impacted their ability to compete, but with a full roster at the Pink Out they should be able to turn things around and get back to their ways of winning. They will have most of their top players in attendance and if they play their game they should dominate their opponents in be in every game that they play.
Games To Watch:
9:00 AM – #3 Ohio State vs #6 Kent State (Court 1)
10:15 AM – #6 Kent State vs #11 Grand Valley State (Court 1)
11:30 AM – #3 Ohio State vs #8 Akron (Court 2)
1:15 PM – #8 Akron vs #11 Grand Valley State (Court 2)