HARRISONBURG, V.A.—This edition of Beast provided incredible moments we’re now accustomed to in inter-region play. Cincinnati’s dramatic overtime comeback against Virginia and Ohio’s composed victories over both UVA and JMU showcased the resilience and structure that define serious title threats. Meanwhile, East Coast powers were left searching for consistency and answers. As teams turn their attention toward regional cups and Nationals, Beast provided more than just thrilling dodgeball—it offered early evidence of which regions, and which teams, may be best built for a deep postseason run.
Cincinnati
Results: 4-3 (OT) vs. UVA, 4-3 vs. JMU
The first meeting between Cincinnati and Virginia proved to be the best of the tournament. The Bearcats started slowly, with strong pressure and ball control from their opponents proving to be the difference as the Cavaliers jumped out to a 2-0 lead at halftime. After dropping a competitive third point to start the second half, Cincinnati’s All-American backbone came alive. They won the next point in under 6 minutes, setting up an opportunity to get back in the game if they could convert another quick point with 12:35 remaining. Then, with 5:50 to go, they made the score 3-2 after converting a late balls over into three quick kills. The final point was a frenzy as the Bearcats unleashed their arms. Brett Sweeney and Will Hyatt mowed down the Cavaliers, sending the game to overtime with a comfortable 56 seconds left. They then made the overtime period look easy and closed out the 3-0 comeback. In the first half, Cincinnati looked aimless, and other teams in their region and around the country might be able to capitalize on similar strategies. But the Bearcats proved that they can come back from anything, with a proven ability to score fast when they need to.
Cincinnati also got off to a slow start against JMU, dropping a long first point. They bounced back to go up 2-1, and were able to take one-point leads after each time JMU tied it up. Cincinnati still showed their ability to score quickly, taking the final point after JMU tied the game at 3 with under 6 minutes left. Overall, Cincinnati showed all of Beast that they have the top-line throwers to match any team in the country. Be careful giving them a lead, too—Sweeney, Hyatt, and Tyler Brewer can easily wallball their way to victory. Gavin Moseley is also a back-line anchor with great hands. Cincinnati will be a real postseason threat both in their region and at Nationals, and they’ll have high expectations for themselves too.
Ohio
Results: 4-2 vs. UVA, 3-0 vs. JMU
Ohio successfully avenged past losses at Beast to both of their opponents. Against JMU, they took advantage of strong wall-balling from Andrew Krankowski as well as strong middle play from Eli Maistros to maintain ball control and player advantage. JMU had played them close in the fall, but this matchup was a completely different story as the Bobcats coasted to a relatively comfortable 3-0 victory. JMU didn’t look their best, but Ohio was able to control the pace by playing together. Judson Jones led the team and called throws very well in this game and was able to lead his team to a strong performance.
Against UVA, Ohio continued playing well. Krankowski seemed unhittable throughout the second half, and UVA invested so much time and effort into attempting to get him out. Ohio also proved their depth in this tournament – they lost former All-American Terence Checkett after the fall semester, but seemed to easily replace him with rookie Alex Krouse. Krouse played his best tournament to date, taking a much more active throwing role for the Bobcats and making multiple crucial catches to seal points While Ohio might not have the strongest throwers in the league, or even in the Ohio Region, their strong team play and depth could lead them to a deep run in the postseason.
Virginia
Results: 3-4 (OT) vs. UC, 2-4 vs. Ohio
For the Cavaliers, Beast will leave an extremely sour taste. They played maybe the best first 25 minutes of dodgeball as a program to date against Cincinnati, and then threw it all away in the next half. The Cavaliers even had another opportunity to close the game out as they were up 3 players to two while up 3-1 against Cincinnati, but lost out almost immediately to a balls over. Virginia also had four players step out, of their own accord, throughout the second half. Against the Bearcats, Virginia proved they can hang with some of the top teams in the NCDA when they’re at their best. But the Hoos will need to be much more consistent if they want to make a run for the East Coast. A bright spot for Virginia was Ben Wu, playing incredible and managing to neutralize Hyatt at many points. Wu looks to be the anchor for the squad, as his animated style and lightning-fast windup force opponents to be wary at all times.
Virginia started well again against Ohio, taking the first point and seeming to respond to their previous loss. Yet after losing Wu early in the second point, they couldn’t convert enough catches to get him back into the game and looked like a different team. In this game, Virginia simply couldn’t throw their way to a point without him. Ohio began to target Wu in successive points, and Virginia never led the rest of the way after falling behind 2-1. The Cavaliers might have depth concerns heading into postseason play, but they’ve shown they at least have the caliber to play with anyone when they can force opponents to slow the game down.
James Madison
Results: 3-4 vs. UC, 0-3 vs. Ohio
Beast was not the usual hometown success story for James Madison. The Dukes looked tired and sluggish in their first match of the day against Ohio, dropping the game’s only three points, unable to control the neutral zone throughout the game. JMU looked extremely disorganized when they came out against the Bobcats, leaving their teammates out to dry after throws in the corners. They also couldn’t convert their opponents’ mistakes, as multiple balls over by Ohio didn’t lead to kills. As the final nail in the coffin, the Dukes weren’t able to rely on their usual catching from CJ Promen, Ryan Pendleton, and Cheech Carvelli. As a team, you have to hope that play like this is limited to one or two points. A whole game looking ineffective could be a sign of larger issues.
Against Cincinnati however, JMU looked much more competitive, winning their first point. After they fell behind, they were able to tie the game up multiple times as the home crowd buoyed them. JMU’s resilience in this game got them nearly to overtime, needing only to survive for 9 more seconds to force a 6-on-6 finish. Cincinnati was surging with momentum after their previous overtime win, JMU’s top line can hang with anyone in an extra period. This overall performance will undoubtedly be concerning for the Dukes as they head towards postseason play. A clear regression from their first performance against Ohio means JMU might not be the clear favorites to win the East Coast as they have been in the past. Either way, it’d be a mistake to count the Dukes out to repeat once again.