Sunday, November 16 saw a complete meeting of the Southern region in Tuscaloosa, Alabama for the first edition of Crimson Chaos. With all 4 teams leaving a unique impression on the rest of the region, Crimson Chaos saw the beginning of a dodgeball boom in the South. Here’s a quick recap of each team’s performance.
Missing a sizable chunk of their roster, North Georgia’s younger players had to step up in their final tournament of the fall. Although the Nighthawks have begun the year with remarkable performances, they started the day falling to the Norse, 4-2. However, North Georgia exhibited great strength with blowout wins against Alabama and Georgia Southern, much due to the impact of Captain #24 Matthew Bender and #42 Alex Beatty. Captain Julia Mahoney says “we had many players stand up such as Peyton Bowen and Nolan Robison.” At the end of the day, North Georgia has proved they have the talent and depth to compete at a high level, and this season may turn out to be their best yet.
Coming less than two months off their debut tournament, the Crimson Tide showed rapid improvement in many of their players. Alabama first faced Braylon Patton and the Northern Kentucky Norse, taking a shocking 1-0 lead before suffering a 5-2 loss. Freshman #6 Zalan Volkan-Kacso highlighted how quick Alabama is learning, completing a 1-against-5 comeback point against NKU as well as racking up 7 catches throughout the day. In addition, freshmen #95 Ishmael Glover and #14 Nick Rossini delivered consistent throwing, combining for 34 kills. Ultimately, Alabama showed hints of coordination and teamwork that will only continue to grow, displayed in their 6-2 win over GSU. However, it’s clear this young Alabama team is off to a solid start, but will need to master the fundamentals before they start winning consistently.
The Norse exhibited a beautiful display of teamwork and strategy in each of their three matches, going undefeated against the rest of the South. #12 Will Strong and #8 Braylon Patton led the team with strong throws and exceptional playmaking and leadership. In addition, #4 Keandre Durrett racked up a multitude of kills with fast, accurate throws. North Kentucky also illustrated the role that camaraderie plays in their team’s dynamic, allowing their friendship and positivity to leak into their coordination on the court. Heading back to Kentucky in high spirits, North Kentucky shows no signs of slowing down as they jump 7 places to #11 in the nation’s standings.
With a shortened roster of 7, the Eagles already had a low ceiling before the matches even started. Despite this, Georgia Southern displayed excellent playmaking with numerous elite throwers. #7 Mason Wade stood out with an unorthodox yet deadly underarm throw, often remaining as the last player on the court. Leaving without a win for the day, Georgia Southern must increase their numbers if they want to return to their former glory.