Previews – Page 2

Central Region Preview 2025-2026

The Central Region is shaping up to be one of the most exciting landscapes in college dodgeball. Illinois is quickly rising into contention, signaling a shift in power as fellow Big Ten program Nebraska-Lincoln comes down from its reign of dominance. With several prospective schools showing interest and momentum building across the board, the region is expanding at a rapid pace—rivaling even the South as the fastest-growing hotspot in the league.

Michigan Region Preview 2025-2026

For two decades, the Michigan Region has been the gold standard of collegiate dodgeball, producing powerhouse programs and setting the bar for national success. From the inaugural season in 2005 until just last year, at least one Michigan team had always battled its way to the NCDA Championship game. That remarkable streak came to an end in 2025, marking the first time in league history that the region was absent from the title match. Now, as a new season is about to unfold, all eyes are on Michigan to see if its teams can reclaim their place at the top.

Ohio Region Preview 2025-2026

As summer draws to a close and the air turns crisp with the first hints of fall, one unmistakable truth rises with the changing winds—dodgeball is back.

Across the country, players are lacing up and teams are retooling. But in one region, the energy feels different. Sharper. Hungrier. More storied. This is Ohio—the beating heart of collegiate dodgeball, where tradition meets talent, and rivalries run deep. Without further ado, here is the 2025-2026 season preview for the Ohio region.

University of Iowa Dodgeball

The following is article put together by Jack Birmingham (Iowa’s content writer) of the Hawkeye Dodgeball Club. Find out how Iowa Dodgeball got started and what their team is all about!

Illini Impact Preview

This Saturday, March 8th the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign (UIUC) will be hosting its first ever home tournament and we should be in for a good one. The teams in attendance will be the University of Wisconsin Platteville (UWP), University of Cincinnati (UC), Miami University (Miami), and Cleveland State University (CSU). Let’s take a look at the schedule and teams below.

Zanderthon Throw-Down IX Preview

Platteville will be hosting the the 9th annual Zanderthon Throw-Down on March 1st. The teams in attendance will be the University of Wisconsin Platteville (UWP), the University of Wisconsin Stout (UWS), University of Wisconsin Eau Claire (UWEC), University of Illinois Urbana Champaign (UIUC), and alumni. This weekend UWEC and Stout will join up to make a team and UWP and UIUC will be doing a double header making it 4 times they will have played each other. Let’s take a look at the teams, the schedule, and some thoughts from a few players below.

Central Region 2024-25 Women’s Mid-Season Spotlight

The first part of the 2024-2025 season has come to an end and it is a great time to reflect and highlight the women of the Central Region and the growth we have seen this year. It is really exciting to see these talented individuals in action and where they might be as players come the end of this season! To see some of their highlights check out the link from the Pioneer Classic (more to come) Below we will take a look at each individual and how they contribute to their teams!

Pioneer Classic V Preview

On Saturday, November 9th, the University of Wisconsin Platteville (UWP) will be hosting the follow teams at the Pioneer Classic (V): University of Nebraska Lincoln (UNL), University of Wisconsin Eau Claire (UWEC), University of Wisconsin Stout (UWS), and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Below is the schedule, breakdown of the teams, and some thoughts from captains and coaches.

Cornhusker Clash Preview 2024-2025

It is another week of college dodgeball and this time the Central Region is back in action! On Saturday, October 26th the University of Nebraska Lincoln (UNL) and the University of Wisconsin Platteville (UWP) will go head to head in a double header in the Cornhusker Clash. This has become an annual tradition between these two teams and it is currently the 7th iteration. The first two involved UNL, DePaul, and UWP and since then it has been the Pioneers and the Cornhuskers. Let’s take a look below at the history of these match ups and the both teams in attendance!

Logo design by Caleb Newell (UWP)

Eau Claire Dodgeball Brawl Preview

This Saturday, September 21st kicks off the start of the 2024-2025 NCDA season with the Eau Claire Dodgeball Brawl. The teams in attendance will be the University of Wisconsin-Stout (UWS), University of Wisconsin-Platteville (UWP), and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UWEC). UWS and UWP will compete in an official match and Eau Claire’s games will be scrimmages. Let’s take a look at the schedule and a quick preview of the teams.

East Coast Dodgeball Cup Preview

By Daniel Fernald

As we enter the inaugural East Coast Dodgeball Cup, it is truly a tournament that anyone can win. While JMU and Penn State come in as definite favorites, UMD and UVA are sleeper teams who can hang with anyone if they get hot. Given the nature of the 4 team round robin format, there could be some intriguing storylines. Let’s talk more about who will be competing to cement their name as the first-ever East Coast champion.

Northern Kentucky to Host First Dodgeball Tournament

This weekend we’re set to see a series of tournaments around the league. We have the East Coast Dodgeball Cup, where James Madison or Penn State are favored to win. We’ve also got the tenth edition of the Grand Valley Gauntlet, featuring three of the top five teams in the country in Michigan State, Cincinnati, and Grand Valley State. Finally, we have the Highland Heights Classic, which features first-time host Northern Kentucky facing off in a quick round-robin series with the University of Kentucky and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

These three teams are hungry to bask in the glory of victory, as wins have been tough to come by all season. In fact, the Wildcats haven’t played a match and the Illini have only played three (winning one). The Norse have played a respectable eleven matches in their inaugural season, and do have a win to their name. But again, two wins all year long between three teams makes for an interesting tournament only two weeks before Nationals. Let’s dig into how each team is set to look this weekend.

Ethan Lehmkuhl’s Grand Valley Gauntlet X Predictions

For this preview, it’s just going to be me sharing my predictions for the Grand Valley Gauntlet, so if you don’t care what I have to say, this is your queue to leave. With that being said, this should be a great tournament all around, as it features 3 of the top 5 teams in the current standings (GVSU, MSU, UC).

A League of Our Own: Katie Mei Williams

Name: Katie Mei Williams
School: Miami University
Major: Chemistry (Neuroscience Co-major + Statistics minor) Leadership Role: Treasurer, Captain

War VII Preview

This weekend the University of Akron will be hosting the annual War tournament that sees several teams in attendance from around the league. The other teams that will be in attendance this weekend are: Kent State University (Kent), University of Nebraska Lincoln (UNL), Grand Valley State University (GVSU), Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU), Ohio State University (OSU), Miami University (Miami), and Akron B. Below let’s take a look at the schedule, captain’s thoughts, and predictions on the day. The following was put together by Arik Kavanagh and Cory Heitmann.