Previews – Page 8

A League of Our Own – Alexis Schultz

Dodgettes Navigating a New League

As the 2022 semester kicks off, one thing can be said for certain about the college dodgeball atmosphere: we are amidst an entirely new league. After practices came to an abrupt end almost two years ago, college dodgeball returned last fall, and with it came an exciting season of close matches, upsets, rookies, and of course, dodgettes (Shout-out to Akron University’s female players for coining the new term).

This article continues to highlight dodgettes across the league: December 2021 graduates, pre-COVID veterans, and new recruits. Stay tuned to hear how they made their name in the league and what they are looking forward to this year; in other words, dodgettes navigating a new league.

A League of Our Own – Anna Moellenbeck

Dodgettes Navigating a New League

With the 2022 semester in full swing, one thing can be said for certain about the college dodgeball atmosphere: we are amidst an entirely new league. After practices came to an abrupt end almost two years ago, college dodgeball returned last fall, and with it came an exciting season of close matches, upsets, rookies, and of course, dodgettes (Shout-out to Akron University’s female players for coining the new term).

Previewing The War V

There are a good number of tournaments that our league presents every year, like clockwork. There’s Nationals, of course. That and the Michigan Dodgeball Cup are the two longest running annual tournaments our league boasts. After that comes the Ohio Dodgeball Cup and James Madison’s annual BEAST tournament (by the way, the weekend of March 5th marks the TENTH edition of the BEAST… Unbelievable, but more on that later). This weekend, another yearly event returns to the National Collegiate Dodgeball Association in our post-COVID era. That tournament is of course Akron’s The War V.

This year makes the 5th consecutive (again, COVID not withstanding) year this tournament will be held in Akron, Ohio. This weekend there will be 11 teams in attendance playing 20 matches, 3rd most all time for both, and most since 2019 where at The War III there were a remarkable 15 teams playing 26 matches. By the way, fun fact, The War III’s 26 matches are exactly how many matches have been played total thus far this semester. Finally, each of the 11 teams competing this weekend have played in at least one War prior to 2022.

This weekend is going to be a thrilling one that I would be absolutely sure not to miss. This 11 team tournament will be by far the biggest we’ve had all year long. In attendance will be host school Akron, Bowling Green State, Cincinnati, Cleveland State, Grand Valley State, Miami, Ohio, Ohio State, Saginaw Valley State, Towson, and Wisconsin-Platteville. These teams will compete in an insane amount of thrilling, Nationals Elite 8 quality matchups.

I hope you aren’t tired of random historical War facts, because we’re going to break down each team’s individual performances in past War’s statistically, and give a bit of a preview for what their performance could look like this weekend. Let’s start with the host school, Akron.

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A League of Our Own – Robyn MacDonald

Dodgettes Navigating a New League

This article series highlights dodgettes across the league: December 2021 graduates, pre-COVID veterans, and new recruits. Stay tuned to hear how they made their name in the league and what they are looking forward to this year; in other words, dodgettes navigating a new league.

Pages: 12

Zanderthon Throw-Down

The Midway Conference kicks off their second half of the season with the Annual Zanderthon Throw-Down on February 19th. This will mark the sixth one in its history! It will once again feature the University of Nebraska Lincoln (UNL), the University of Wisconsin Platteville (UWP) and several UWP alumni. The schedule for this Saturday’s event is as follows.

2022 Michigan Dodgeball Cup Preview

2015 Michigan Dodgeball Cup Preview – NCDA

This Saturday, Michigan State University will host three other schools in the annual Michigan Dodgeball Cup. In attendance will be Grand Valley State (8-1), Michigan State (5-3), Saginaw Valley State (2-7), and Western Michigan (0-3). Missing from the MDC for the first time since 2007 (prior to their club’s existence) is Central Michigan University.

While eyes will be on the CMU club to see if they can rebuild their program and get back to competition, let’s shift our attention back to the four teams in attendance. To start, here is the schedule for the 2022 MDC, which will be livestreamed on the NCDA’s social channels this Saturday, starting at 10:00 AM.

Happy Valley Throwdown

The East Coast is back at it for the first time this semester. Check out the video below as Shadeed Drakeford provides a preview of tomorrow’s tournament!

https://youtu.be/g-pQvCSh_2c

Previewing the 2022 Ohio Dodgeball Cup

For the first time in two years, the Ohio Dodgeball Cup will be played this Saturday, February 5th, on Bowling Green State University’s campus. There will be five teams in attendance on the fifth; Akron, Bowling Green State, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Ohio State – all vying for a chance to take home the hardware Saturday afternoon. This could work out to be a great opportunity for those around the league to understand who the true top team in Ohio is this season. Or, we could be left with even more parity than we ended the fall semester with. Regardless, only one team can take the Cup home, and all five want it.

We asked each of the five teams what they think of their matchups this weekend, if they are bringing any young/lesser-known players they feel could be poised to make an impact, and how significant they felt winning the Ohio Dodgeball Cup would be for each of their programs. Here’s what they had to say:

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Grand Valley Gauntlet VIII

This Saturday we kick off the second half of our 2021-2022 season in Allendale, Michigan, with the Grand Valley Gauntlet VIII. The teams in attendance are: the Grand Valley State University (GVSU), Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU), and Michigan State University (MSU). It is exciting to get back on the courts again and I can’t wait to see the results. Let’s take a look at the schedule for tomorrow’s event below.

Viking Clash Preview

This Saturday, December 4, 2021 we have four teams in action at the Viking Clash. The teams in attendance are: the host school, Cleveland State University (CSU), Bowling Green State University (BGSU), Kent State University (Kent), and the University of Wisconsin Platteville (UWP).

Below is the schedule for tomorrow’s event.

Cornhusker Clash Preview

Cornhusker Clash

It is another exciting week for dodgeball in the Midway Conference as this Saturday November 20, 2021 the Cornhusker Clash is back! The University of Wisconsin Platteville (UWP) will be going up against University of Nebraska- Lincoln (UNL) in another doubleheader. UWP will also take on a UNL B team in a scrimmage.

Below is the schedule for tomorrow’s event.

Pioneer Classic Preview

This Saturday, November 13, 2021, The Midway Conference is finally back in action with the Pioneer Classic! The teams that will be in attendance are the University of Wisconsin Platteville (UWP) and the University of Nebraska Lincoln (UNL). It is a double header with a mix and match game thrown in between. The schedule for tomorrow’s event can be seen below.

2nd Annual John Betters’ Bobcat Bonanza Preview

With the return of dodgeball comes the return of what I can only assume will become a time honored tradition for Ohio University, and that is hosting the annual John Betters’ Bobcat Bonanza in the fall semester. Not only will this year’s iteration feature eight talented dodgeball teams, but we will also witness the retirement of the great John Betters’ jersey as well as the ceremonial first throw – a welcomed new addition to the tournament.

Silliness aside, Ohio University will be host to some of the hardest hitting, most impactful matchups the NCDA has to offer since before the pandemic started in March of 2020. The teams in attendance will be Bowling Green State University, the University of Cincinnati, Grand Valley State University, James Madison University, Miami University, hosts Ohio University, [the] Ohio State University, and Saginaw Valley State University.

There are a lot of intriguing storylines to consider and questions that need answers as we head into Saturday’s tournament. To shine some light on some of those, we’ve asked the leaders of each team to provide some insight into who some players to look out for are, what they think about their respective matchups, and what they need to do to have a successful day Saturday. Without further adieu, here is what each team had to say:

Tournament Preview: University of Akron’s Pink Out VI

This marks the 6th time that teams will compete at the University of Akron in October for the (formerly) annual Pink Out Tournament, hosted by the Zips. The teams in attendance will be the Redhawks from Miami, The Bowling Green State University Falcons, and The Cleveland State Vikings. The three visiting teams will all be competing in their first matches of the season, with the hosts competing in their second tournament this year. I asked the attending school’s captains what their takes and expectations for their teams are when they compete this weekend, as well as some stand out players to watch out for on their squad.

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The Virginia Classic

The East Coast kicks off the 2021-2022 season with the Virginia Classic at the Slaughter Recreation Center! In attendance, will be the host team University of Virginia (UVA), James Madison University (JMU), and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). The following is the schedule for today’s event.