Each year nationals gives teams the chance to fight harder than any other game to come out on top. It also gives teams who haven’t experienced many games or every team the opportunity to show off their skills and hard work. This year, in the third annual Women’s National Dodgeball tournament in Akron, Ohio, 58 players formed eight teams across 9 school to battle for the trophy.
All photos included were taken by Kate Douglas (me).
Akron A
While they didn’t win the tournament, they had an extremely successful day. They had the game with the most points scored (13), and the only game they lost was the championship game, sad as it is. They may not have won, but played some really intense games that showcased their hard work from the season.
There game against mixed team one was their lowest scoring game during the round-robin at only six points. It was interesting to see them have such a hard time scoring as many points against the team of mostly rookies, but veteran Danielle Swett kept them on their toes. Regardless, they took charge of the game with their strong and intense strategy to come out on top. Akron is a team of powerful players that not only have confidence in themselves but in each other. Each player has great court awareness which lends to their impressive ability to apply pressure on their opponents and execute sharp attacks when least expected. Their game against UWP showcased their ability to keep their opponent on their toes, but UWP was able to give that intensity right back with their own pump fakes and team throws. Both games were very fun to watch.
In the end, Akron prides themselves on their ability to win, and their loss at this tournament shouldn’t take away from their great success as a team. Not only were they able to form a third team at their home tournament, they still hold two of the three championship titles for the women’s league. They have the ability to overcome this bump in the road, and it will be exciting to see what type of intensity they bring next season.
Akron B
These players truly rose to the occasion. After losing five of their nine players to emergencies, the team of four went 3-1 on the day, only losing against MSU. Their games weren’t small ones either, scoring five or more points in each game they won. These four players deserve to be recognized for how well they played despite their exhaustion and unexpected disadvantage.
Their best game was against NKU, but their game against mixed team two was also one to note. The teams were more evenly matched at four vs six, and their experience was also very similar. While the game didn’t officially count towards their standing, it was valuable experience for both sides to take into their next tournaments. The mixed teams always bring a special type of game with all the personalities and game styles crammed into one squad!
MSU
Out of all the teams, MSU had the most wins and the most points scored–their win record was perfect, and they scored a total of 53 points across five official games and one unofficial game. However, Akron was only one game and one point behind them in the scoring race. It’s crazy to see them score that many points in one event, and it wasn’t the first time they’ve done it this season. The Spartan Smackdown had them scoring many points in each game.
The day was set up so that MSU and Akron would face each other in the finals; that’s just how things played out. It wouldn’t be any fun if one of the leading two teams knocked the other out before the finals. Their game against Akron was a bit of an upset after both teams spent all day wracking up the impressive amount of points they did just for the championship game to be won with a three point difference. MSU found some fire under their wings to push hard through to the end of the day, taking the championship title from Akron.
It was a hard fought battle for anyone who played MSU; they are a team who knows how good they are, and they will never play down to their opponent. They will score as many points as they can before the timer runs out. Their determination to win makes for good inspiration to play better and play harder. They make their opponents work hard for every point they score, and that leads to stronger teams all across the league.
NKU
Northern Kentucky exhibited a lot of growth and improvement since the Spartan Smackdown back in February. They were a dark horse team when the season started, and they’ve really made a name for themselves during the few games they played.
Their game against Akron B was an upset no one expected. They repeatedly tied up the scores, trading points back and forth, and pushed back against Akron B with intense power. In the end after scoring five points, Akron B took the last two of the game, leading to their win. However, NKU has shown us that they work very well as a team, and they are most powerful when they can apply hard pressure when attacking. It’s when their numbers start to dwindle that they seem to struggle. However, Morgan Russell and #13 are unstoppable when they team up, and their court awareness is very impressive. Layla Holt is an incredible solo player, and her teammates know she’ll always be there to block for them and fight for them.
Nationals was their most important tournament; from dipping their toes into the women’s league at the Spartan Smackdown to finding their footing at nationals, NKU has grown into a formidable opponent that the league should keep on their radar.
UWP
For their second nationals tournament, the team’s dynamic was very different. The experience of the vets helped them keep most of their games low in points played, and their rookies really stepped up to fill the gaps when needed. While they didn’t win as many games as they’d hoped, they still made it to the final four where they lost against MSU–a repeat of last year. However, it was clear that their confidence and overall drive had increased, and they played their hearts out during every point of every game.
Their most notable game was during the bracket play against NKU. This would be their third time playing them this season, and both previous matches UWP had lost. The games were very close in points, but they were still losses. This time, with a bit of fire under them, they went into this game aiming for a spot in the final four. Each point was fought hard with several instances of 1v1 battles. However, veteran Hollie Wheeler and rookie Jamie Damm held strong regardless of injury or ailment, and their determination to score lead their team to victory in the bracket.
It has been amazing to watch this young team grow and improve in the two short years it has been around, and the growing leadership at UWP has inspired other women to embrace dodgeball. They might have lost this year, but it will be exciting to see how they bounce back and dial in on next season.
UIUC
Illinois has gone through a prolonged period of rebuilding and recruiting, and their women’s team took a big hit after last season. For the majority of their 2026 season, they were a team of four players, and the team they played the most was UWP. While four players in the minimum required to compete, they didn’t let their low numbers stop them from challenging their opponents. Much like the Spartan Smackdown, they kept their opponents on their toes by playing defensively by waiting for catches.
Tera Pabico and Jia Kim were instrumental when it came to playing on the offensive side. They were careful when throwing, but their throws were purposeful and intense. Christina Nasios may look timid, but she uses her size to evade balls and make quick resets. And Naila Kulda backs her team with accurate attacks, skillful blocks, and a catch count that would make any player jealous. Their game against MSU showcased their skills very well even if they didn’t win.
For only having four players, UIUC held their own, took a few games, and even made it to the final four! Their unexpected gameplay makes them fun to watch, and their small size gives them an underdog vibe that is fun to cheer for. It will be exciting to watch their team continue to grow and be an important member of the central region’s women’s league.
UC
This was the only tournament that UC participated in this season, and it was the first tournament as an official team. Their job during this tournament was to get a feel for what it’s like to play in a tournament setting and to learn as much as possible from each team they played.
Their most beneficial games were against UIUC, whom they played twice. The games against Illinois allowed them to utilize what they learned in their earlier games, formulate new strategies that worked well with the team, and (most importantly) score some points. Throughout the day, their confidence grew which lead to an improvement in gameplay and a boost in morale. They were very fun to watch when they were clearly feeling good about the game, and UIUC definitely helped them find their footing.
Cincinnati participating in this tournament proves that it don’t take much to compete, and it opens the door for more rookie teams who want to join the league but aren’t confident in their chances. A team doesn’t need to play in every tournament in order to play at nationals, and hopefully more teams are encouraged to join the fun just like UC did.
Mixed
This year, two mixed teams were formed from the players who didn’t have a full team to register. Coincidentally, they were essentially split into a Michigan mixed team comprised of players from Grand Valley State University and the MSU B team, and the Ohio mixed team with players from Kent, Cleveland State University, and Ohio University. These players have the unique privilege of playing on such a special, one-time-team. It gives these players a chance to stand out more, and it pushes them to play outside of their comfort zone in niches they might not normally play in. These ladies were intense opponents to every team they played, and their unpredictability kept their opponents on their toes!
Interview Questions
Thank you to those who took the time to respond!
Which match challenged your team the most? Why was it challenging?
Alexis Shultz (Akron): The national championship match against MSU was the most challenging for us. They are always our biggest rivals, and we knew it would be a tough match going in. Akron is a team that is good at making in-game adjustments, but we would try to adjust and it still didn’t work. At the end of the day MSU executed better than we did. They were making some insane catches and we can’t be mad at that.
Terra Pabico (UIUC): It was definitely between MSU and Akron. Having to adapt in various ways and within a relatively fast time frame was definitely challenging for us, but I think we stood our ground especially being 2 players down. Facing the top 2 teams as the underdog can be discouraging, but I do think it challenged us to leave everything on the court. I was proud to see how our team refused to lose confidence and continued to compete to the best of our abilities. I believe some of those points were the best our team has looked, and I hope to see more of this play style and grit from our team next year.
Reagan Bucholtz (UWP): I think that the NKU games challenged our team the most. They were games that both teams had to really compete for to get the win since we were very close skill wise. This made both of our games very close and challenging. I look forward to how both teams grow next year!
What players stood out to you (they can be from your team if you want)?
AS: I think all of the UWP stood out to me. The score doesn’t reflect it as well, but in our match against them I felt every point we played was competitive. Morgan [Russell] and Layla [Holt] from NKU were both standouts and their play even as rookies elevated NKUs performance. I am excited to watch them next year. There were many points we relied on Mack Zumbar as the last player in to get a catch and she pulled through multiple times. Ava Stack stepped up her catching game in the finals, in the past I have viewed her as more of a threat for her arm, but she had some nice catches as well. Emma Steiner on the mixed team (Ohio) I thought really improved from last year.
TP: A quick shoutout to our rookies Jia [Kim] and Christina [Nasios] for the immense improvement they’ve made throughout the year! Jia’s dodging and catches have developed strongly throughout the year and Christina’s overall confidence on the court, resets, and dodging/blocking has grown so much. I can’t wait to see what they’ll bring to nationals next year! Platteville also looked fierce at nationals! Each and every one of them looked aggressive, tactical, and were ready to protect their teammates. We’ve played them all year so seeing their growth makes me very proud. All of them should be proud of themselves but be on the lookout for Reagan [Bucholtz], Jamie [Damm], and Tori [Sanborn] next year — these girls are total beasts. #0 on Cincinnati stood out to me as well. She’s got her catching down and got us on some good counters — can’t wait to see how she’ll develop!
RB: From UWP I want to shout out Tori Sanborn and Jamie Damm. Tori was our main play caller and also had a ton of catches and outs. Jamie was one of our rookies and was a very important player on the court for us providing great pressure, always protecting us, and getting a number of outs. From other teams, first I want to shout out all the girls from UIUC. I was originally going to just mention one of them, but the more I think about it, the whole team deserves a shout out. I’m extremely impressed by how they play and how far they were able to make it in the bracket with only 4 girls. I have seen them grow so much as a team from the beginning of the season to the end. Another player that stood out to me was Morgan Russell from NKU. She had a great arm and was also a pretty good catcher. She seemed like a great leader out on the court, which is especially impressive as a freshman rookie. I can’t wait to see how she improves over the next few years.
What went well? What didn’t?
AS: I think our team throws didn’t connect as much as we wanted them to. I was happy with our communication on the court though. I also think our adjustments didn’t always work as well as we wanted them to. I am mostly referring to the final match here.
TP: Every one of our players got at least 1-2 catches throughout the day which is extremely impressive especially at nationals! We were all carrying our weight throughout the day, everyone got at least an out or 2 and with there only being 4 of us, that’s a great highlight for our team. I would say some matches we didn’t perform as well as we thought and it definitely affected our mindset, and consequently our performance. However, on the bright side, I think we bounced back and pushed through it. We remembered that although we were at nationals, we should have fun! I think we performed well, and also got some practice to improve our mindsets.
RB: I think our team played very well. We thrived when we stuck to our style of countering and when kept our throws low. We still need to work more with on court communication and throwing less catches. Also, what really killed us were injuries. Overall, I’m very proud of how we fought through every point, no matter how tired or hurt we were.
Think back to the goals you and your team has set. How close was your team to achieving them? What goals did your team achieve?
AS: Obviously our goal was to win the national championship and we made it to the finals. Other goals I was happy with was everyone on our team stepped up where we needed them to, leadership or playing wise. I wanted a solid groundwork for next year since a lot of us are leaving and I think we achieved that.
TP: One of our goals at nationals was to be more communicative and cohesive on the court. It has definitely improved from the beginning of the year, but I do think we’re capable of more and we’ll bring it to nationals next year. A goal we definitely achieved was making the final four, and we hope to be back in the championship bracket next year!
RB: Our team was able to achieve several of our goals for the season such as playing in at least one women’s no-sting tournament before nationals, playing at least one official no-sting match at our home tournaments, winning the first game of bracket play at nationals, and having a average radar speed of 40+ with the no-sting balls each month. We were also able to set up an event with Winona State, however we were not able to keep the event due to weather conditions that weekend.
Where do you see your team next season?
AS: Next season we have a lot of firepower coming back and some opportunity for our newer players to step up. I see us winning another championship next year. Although the holes left in our roster are from people who have played since the creation of the team, I trust the returners have and will continue to put in the work to surpass any expectations.
TP: Recruiting is definitely going to be a focus for us next season. Ideally, we’d love to bring a full team and subs to nationals — but we’ll be happy if we can get 5-6 girls to come. As mentioned, I hope to see us in the final four bracket once again, but I’d love for us to compete with a developed strategy and a more confident presence on the court!
RB: Next season I hope for our team to be more connected and for each individual player to have more confidence on the court. We are a fairly young team and I look forward to seeing how our current players continue to grow. I also am excited to hopefully recruit enough rookie women to have subs for tournaments, which I think would really help our team with our injury situation.
What is a personal goal for yourself, your team, or the league that you hope can be achieved next season?
AS: I think a full 8 team bracket at nationals (compared to 6) would be sweet for the league. I would love it if the league was big enough for regional cups like the open division. For the team, of course I want us to win the title but I would also like us to recruit a strong freshman class. We had a lot of rookies last year but not a lot of them stuck around.
TP: UIUC definitely wants to host a tournament next year, and hopefully one of those would be a women’s tournament! We hope to either have more opportunities to play against more teams like at Spartan Smackdown, and/or best case scenario we’ll also be able to host! In terms of our game, our team is extremely determined and are always looking for ways to improve themselves. Some goals of ours consist of improving our throws and accuracy, catching, and dodging. I hope our team next year will be able to have a well-developed strategy and stronger team cohesion throughout the season.
RB: A personal goal of mine is to continue to work on my catching game. I went for a lot of catches this nationals and I did not secure as many as I would have liked. For my team, I truly think that we have a chance to compete for the championship title next season. We have some incredible talent that will continue to grow next season. As a league, I hope that more teams are able to recruit women and form women’s teams. Just in the central region, we have possibly of UNL, UW Eau Claire, and Winona State gaining women’s teams. I look forward to continue to see the women’s league grow!
Final Thoughts
We want to thank all those who helped schedule, run, and photograph the event. It was truly amazing to see all the teams, players, and spectators that came to this event to support their schools, friends, and teams. We can’t wait to see what the women’s league has in store for next season!
Check out the NCDA’s YouTube Channel for any games you missed, check out our Facebook and Instagram for more updates, and check out more articles here to keep up to date on all things college dodgeball! See you next season!